


You Bit Me?!

by AltruisticSkittles



Series: Werewolves and Vampires and Witches (Oh My!) [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: A new allergy to chocolate, And strange things start happening, Arguing, Biting, Blood, Crying, Descriptions of Injury, Food Poisoning, Gen, Guns, In which Logan is bitten over a jar of jam, Prinxiety Brothers, Swearing, Threats of Death, a few OCs - Freeform, and an abnormal diet, binge eating, but its not, death mentions, guest appearances by emile and deceit, like intense hunger, logicality brothers, meat consumption, no one dies though I swear, now for some content warnings, obviously he's overstressed about finals its ok, unsafe medical practices
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-19 02:56:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20202592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AltruisticSkittles/pseuds/AltruisticSkittles
Summary: When Logan decided to become a doctor, he knew the full moon was going to bring in all sorts of problems for him. He was prepared to face people who would bite him for no reason, at least, until he was actually bitten by someone.He didn’t have time for this. He was graduating college. He was studying for finals. He didn’t need to crave inhuman amounts of food, get sick off of a special treat, or have heightened senses that set him on edge. There had to be a totally plausible medical reason for all of this.And, no, Lychanthropy is not one of them, Patton.





	You Bit Me?!

**Author's Note:**

> Well, hello there! This story was the original big bang fic for ts-storytime I wanted to write, but because I let it slip and there was a certain artist that was hellbent on getting me, I decided to write another. (They succeeded so I’m glad I did haha)
> 
> Anyway, this is actually only half of the story I wanted to write, but then I realized I would much rather turn it into a short story series, kinda like how I did TSAoJ (what is it with me and splitting up supernatural stories huh?) so keep on the lookout for that later maybe~
> 
> Anyway, I’ve kept some of you waiting too long. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> -Cat

Logan sighed as he stared at the price of Crofter's. According to the sticker, he just missed the sale Patton told him about, and he’d have to pay an extra 20 cents for it, which for a college student on a tight budget, was a lot. 

Oh well. Patton could live without an extra box of goldfish crackers.

As Logan reached up to grab the jar, it vanished. Logan froze and blinked, his brain failing to process how the item disappeared so quickly.

“Oh wow, the last jar,” a loud voice said to his left. Logan turned his head slowly. A person with a wide grin and eyes that almost looked gold examined the label. “This must be my lucky day.”

An uncomfortable heat burned Logan’s gut. He cleared his throat. “Excuse me.”

The Crofter's stealer looked up and turned their grin into a charming smirk. “Well hello there. How can I help you?”

“By giving me that.” Logan held out his palm expectantly.

“This?”

“Yes, that.”

“I don’t think so. I got it first.”

“But I was here first. I was reaching for it.”

“Well, you’re too slow.”

Logan growled in his throat. “I’m going to ask once more nicely. Hand over the jar.”

The person leaned in close to Logan’s face. “Make me, nerd.”

Logan reached out. He wrapped his fingers around the jar and tugged. The person pulled back. For about thirty seconds, this moment jam-packed with action created such a fuss, multiple people stopped to watch. Some even pulled out their phone to film it.

Finally, Logan got the upper hand. He pulled the jar from the person’s grasp and gave a triumphant little “ha,” totally missing the stranger's deep growl.

One moment Logan treasured his victory, and the next he howled in pain.

It took a moment between the shocked gasps from the crowd and his own distressed noise to realize that, yes, this stranger did, in fact, bite him. Hard. On the forearm.

“Did you just bite me?” Logan questioned.

The person recoiled as if Logan bit them back. Their huge eyes froze along with their breathing.

“I-” they stammered several times.

Logan examined his arm. A small drop of blood that didn’t quite grasp the severity of the situation trickled down his wrist with two perfect indents of human teeth wrapping around his skin.

“If I gather an infection from this, I’m sending you the bill,” Logan grumbled and walked off, leaving his flabbergasted attacker behind.

“Wait!” they called out, but Logan didn’t want to speak to them any longer. He ran off with his jar of Crofter's before the stranger could steal any more of his pride from him. Logan checked out and exited the store. Thankfully, some observers kept the biter at bay and far away from him. 

The whole walk home, all Logan could think about was the bite on his arm. Sure, he could fix it in a heartbeat, but this was a grown human being wrapping their teeth around his arm over a jar of jam, not some toddler. What could have possibly possessed them to do that?

Even if Crofter's was the most valuable food in the world, one did not simply bite another person to obtain it.

Logan entered his dorm room and locked it behind him. He’d be dead before that person came into his safe space and bit him again, or worse, threatened to take his precious jam again.

“Oh, welcome back!” a voice called out from the computer desk. They turned on their swivel chair and beamed.

“I’m afraid I forgot your goldfish,” Logan informed, watching the other person deflate with a whine. Logan walked over to the desk drawer, set the groceries on the counter, and dug around for some gauge to wrap up his arm.

“Logan, what happened?”

“I had a slight disagreement with someone in the grocery store, and they decided to cast their dental impressions with my arm.”

“So in other words, they bit you?”

“Yes.”

There was a pause, and Logan braced himself.

“That’s a story I’d like to sink my teeth into.”

Logan sighed and grabbed the bandage out of the drawer. He sat down on the bottom bunk bed and began unwinding the ball.

“I’m afraid the story is not as exciting as it sounds, Patton,” Logan responded.

Patton left his spot on the computer chair and sat beside Logan. He watched Logan fumble with the bandage before taking matters into his own hands and wrapping up Logan’s forearm. Meanwhile, Logan retold the story, and Patton listened.

“Well, that wasn’t _berry_ nice at all,” Patton mused.

“Please spare me. I’m in enough pain as it is,” Logan grumbled. 

“Isn't there something you can do to make sure it doesn't get infected? I mean, it doesn't look deep, but it did bleed.”

“Yes. Common treatment includes amoxicillin, but that's out of the question for obvious reasons.”

Patton quirked a brow. “But I thought you were allergic to penicillin.” 

“Amoxicillin is a form of penicillin, Patton.”

Patton tied off the bandage and let out a short sigh through his nose. “Well, I hope this guy doesn't just go around biting people.”

Logan leaned and rested his back against the wall. He ran his fingers over the white bandage and sighed through his nose. Hopefully, this would do.

Logan thought back to the confrontation. What could he have done differently? Perhaps there were more jars elsewhere and he missed them. Was being bitten for a sweet treat really worth it? 

A plate plopped into Logan’s lap, and he gazed upon five crackers spread with Crofter's jam. Patton sent a smile before returning to his work on the computer. Logan lifted a cracker to his lips with a slight smile.

Yes, this was all worth it.

\--

The following days were rather boring compared to the excitement of being bitten on the arm by a total stranger over a jar of Crofter's. Finals were upon them, and Logan spent most of his time inside studying. After his 5 years of work, he’d be dead before he let failing one class stop him from graduating the hell that was college.

His roommate, however, happily spent his free time out and about with his posse of weird friends. Logan wondered how Patton attracted the most fascinating human specimens to his person.

For example, there was Virgil, who looked like a walking case of constant anxiety. Those wide hazel eyes studied everything. Maybe something bit him unexpectedly as well, and now he expected the unexpected at all times. For someone who chose to draw such little attention to himself, he sure made a scene with his appearance. Dark eyeshadow and eyeliner permanently stained his skin and gave him a wolfish appearance.

Then there was Damian, who Logan swore could not keep a story straight even if he wrote it down prior. The slippery son of a gun always weaved Patton’s gullible mind into intense fairytale stories that even sounded foolish to a child, but Patton always defended Damian’s tall tales, saying how Logan didn’t know Damian’s life and for all they knew, he could’ve run into a prostitute with one eye in the middle of a dark alley and got a blowjob for free.

The only normalish friends he gathered were those from his Theater class. Logan had to admit, Thomas was fun to be around every once and a while… when he and Patton weren’t breaking out into song over the littlest things.

He discovered that when he mentioned something was hit or miss when discussing chance.

Logan cradled his head in his right hand as he attempted to memorize every name for every bone in the human body. It should’ve been easy. Logan loved to study. However, with the bored mother bird sitting on her eggs and her partner trying to serenade and entertain her in the tree next to him, Logan couldn’t focus. That constant twitterpated tweet-tweet tugged at his thin nerves.

“Will you shut up,” Logan growled at the window. Of course, the birds ignored him. He thought about opening the window and throwing a few pencils in their general direction.

If the birds weren't bad enough, now he started to get a headache. The words in his book blurred together, and when Logan looked up at the clock, he couldn’t read the numbers.

Logan took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and pointer finger. Perhaps he needed a break. He released his eyes and blinked into the way too bright sun.

Oh, it was almost noon. No wonder he felt exhausted; he’d been at this for five hours.

Logan slid his glasses back on. The numbers on the clock blurred, and Logan squinted. He lifted the lenses off of his face once again, and the numbers cleared up.

That was... odd. Did he grab Patton’s glasses by mistake? No, even with Patton’s glasses, he shouldn’t be able to tell what time it is across the room without his glasses on, as they were both nearsighted.

Logan set his glasses down on the desk and leaned back in his chair. The world clarified in moments. Well, almost. He still had no clue why he could see without his glasses.

Logan looked into his mirror and examined his eyes. They were the same bright blue from his birth, clear, no signs of alterations that he’d noticed. He didn’t have contacts, so doubling his prescription by accident was out of the question.

What was going on?

The door to the dorm room opened, and the smell of grease and grass flooded the room. Logan almost covered his nose.

“Hey, I brought you lunch, since I know you probably didn’t take a break to eat already,” Patton spoke. He closed the door with his foot and set two bags of fast food on Logan’s desk. The smell overpowered Logan’s thought process.

“Thanks,” he managed to mumble.

Patton pulled out his food and started eating. From here, Logan could practically taste the ketchup sliding down Patton’s fries and sticking to his fingers.

“Yeh mkay?”

“Patton, please don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Patton swallowed. “You’re not wearing your glasses.”

Logan took a deep breath and replied, “You are correct. I was getting a headache from all the studying.”

Patton made a hum of acknowledgment. He held out the wrapped veggie burger to Logan. The smell hit Logan’s head like several hammers and sent his mouth into a drooling frenzy. With all the pain of studying, he forgot how hungry he was.

Within a minute, Logan devoured his veggie burger and moved on to the fries, leaving a rather flabbergasted Patton on his bed.

“Wow, slow down Logan,” Patton said with a light laugh. “Your food’s not _growing_ anywhere.”

Logan sent an annoyed glance Patton’s way but made no further comment.

Patton had just finished his fries when Logan tossed his trash away. He let out a nervous giggle and shook his head.

“You know, I think that’s the first time you finished eating before me.”

“I was hungry.”

“I guess so,” Patton responded. He sighed and put his burger into his lap. “You know, Logan, you spend so much time studying. I wouldn’t mind playing a card game with you.”

Logan leaned back into his chair and eyed Patton with a raised brow. “You do know it’s finals week, yes?”

“Well, yeah, but if you don’t take a break, you’re going to burn yourself out. Please? I know you like Spit.”

Logan ran a hand through his hair. He glanced out at the noisy birds and shrugged his shoulders. “Okay, fine, one game won’t hurt.”

Patton squealed and leapt off the bed. He dug through the drawers for the deck of cards he brought to school with him. Logan watched Patton fish around for a moment. Finally, Patton pulled the deck out and sat cross-legged on the floor, and Logan joined him soon after.

“So, the usual stakes?” Patton asked as he shuffled.

Logan sighed and nodded his head, “Though I don’t plan on losing.”

Patton split the deck and handed one half to Logan. They set up the game, and Patton waited for Logan to finish calculating his moves. They counted to three, and the game began.

While Patton's speed outmatched Logan's own, the other watched Patton’s cards and anticipated his moves, breaking Patton’s combos when he could. This went on for about ten minutes until Patton ran out of cards.

Patton slammed his hand on the floor one second before Logan. Logan’s hand smacked down onto the back of Patton’s hand, and Patton let out a sharp gasp.

A low rumble sounded from Logan’s throat. It almost sounded like a growl. 

The room held its breath. 

Patton looked up into Logan’s eyes, which stared at the back of his hand, and nervously laughed. 

“I win,” he responded in a fake chipper voice.

Logan lifted his hand off of Patton's own. Patton drew his hand to his chest and examined the red mark Logan left behind. He blinked back the tears in his eyes.

“Patton,” Logan called out, searching for Patton’s attention through the pain he caused, “Are you injured?”

“No, you just scared me is all,” Patton replied. Logan watched Patton warily. Patton chewed on the inside of his cheek and picked up the cards. “Best two out of three?”

Logan sighed. “I don’t think so. I really should get back to studying.”

“Oh,” Patton replied. He patted the cards until they were in a neat pile and placed them back in the drawer. “Okay then. We can go get the ice cream now and come back so you can study some more.”

“Sounds satisfactory.” Logan got off the floor and picked up some spare change from his other pants pocket. The two roommates then left their dorm to get ice cream.

\--

Logan never felt this sick in his life.

The past three days, he couldn’t keep any food down. His limbs felt like they were going to fall off, and even the smell of food upset his stomach. Patton did his best to care for him, but he was a full-time college student and could only do so much.

Logan rolled over on his bed and took the now dry washcloth off his forehead. He eyed the clock on the wall for the fifteenth time, thankful for once that he could see without his glasses for some reason. Maybe his vision caused this sudden sickness. 

Of course, it was possible to get food poisoning from ice cream.

The birds outside went to sleep hours ago, and Logan couldn’t be more thankful. He put the cool side of the pillow over his head and groaned into his mattress. Great. He was getting a migraine. Just what he needed. 

Why was the week before finals the week he got sick as a dog?

“Logan?” Patton’s unusually calm voice called through the apartment, “are you here?”

Logan moaned in confirmation.

“I’m really starting to get worried about you. Maybe it’s time to go to the hospital,” Patton said as he closed the door. Logan poked his head out from under his blankets.

“Yeah,” was all Logan’s raspy voice would allow him to say. It sounded like he smoked a hundred cigarette packs a day. He wanted to avoid any unnecessary medical bills, but at this point, he’d do more damage to his body waiting than any medical bill could do to him.

Patton grabbed a jacket from the closet and slowly lifted Logan’s blanket. The loss of heat caused a shiver to constrict every muscle on Logan’s abdomen, and he curled his legs up into his chest.

“Hey, kiddo,” Patton cooed and held out the jacket. “Put this on and I’ll help you get down to the car, okay?”

“I don’t want to move.”

“I know, but we have to, or you might get sicker.”

“I’m already sicker- sick. I’m already sick.”

“Logan, please?”

Logan sighed and sat up on his elbows, his stomach pinching and protesting. He panted three times before he sat up all the way. Patton rubbed Logan’s back and sat beside him.

“There ya go. See? That wasn’t so hard.”

Logan rose a brow, and Patton chuckled. Patton eased Logan’s arms into the jacket, noting how much Logan’s body shook from the change in temperature, and helped him down to the car. Logan took his glasses off three minutes after having them on, claiming they made his headache and nausea worse, and Patton placed them in the extra glasses case he kept in the glove compartment in his car. 

Good thing the hospital was only five minutes away. Bad thing that doctors took forever to see their patients. Logan ran to the bathroom at least twice before they were called in to see anyone.

“So, you think you got a case of food poisoning?” the doctor asked as they scribbled down on their clipboard. Logan nodded his head the best he could with it on his knees. Patton rubbed Logan’s back.

“It happened maybe an hour or so after we had some ice cream,” Patton informed the doctor.

“Any history of lactose intolerance?”

Patton furrowed his brow. “I don’t think so. Logan and I eat ice cream all the time, and this is the first time he’s ever gotten this sick after eating it.”

The doctor hummed. “I’d advise him to stay away from any products with milk in it for a few hours just to make sure. It’s possible to develop lactose intolerance through illness, though rare, and I want him to drink extra water or tea, and stay away from energy drinks, soda, or coffee. Vomiting does cause dehydration.”

Logan rolled his eyes. He knew all this. He didn’t waste 5 years in college to have some doctor tell him this was a simple case of lactose intolerance. However, when he opened his mouth to protest, a strong wave of nausea hit him, and he clenched his teeth shut.

“Thank you,” Patton said as the doctor ended their visit. He turned to Logan and sent a sympathetic smile. 

“I hope you don’t think this is just lactose intolerance,” Logan grumbled.

Patton allowed his smile to drop and sighed through his nose. “I don’t know. Maybe we should give it one more day then come back if it gets any worse.”

Logan made a pitiful moan of confirmation before Patton assisted him in standing up straight. He put most of his weight on Patton and shivered again. In the end, Logan lost the rest of his strength, and Patton ended up carrying him bridal style to the car and up to their dorm room.

For the rest of the night, Patton stayed awake and made sure Logan was properly taken care of. The two of them lay together on the bottom bunk. Patton ran his hands through Logan’s hair as he hummed any soothing song he could think of. He bought numerous water bottles to keep on hand and helped Logan when he had an emergency bathroom run. Thankfully tomorrow was Sunday, and they both had no classes.

Logan shivered again thinking about all the work he’d missed the past three days.

“You don’t have to do all this,” Logan groaned at three in the morning.

Patton put down his mug of hot chocolate and sent a tired smile. He replied, “Logan, I’m your brother. Why wouldn’t I?”

“You’re only my stepbrother,” Logan retorted.

“Only?” Patton scoffed. “We were best friends first. I’d still be taking care of you even if dad didn’t adopt me.”

Logan allowed a hum of confirmation to escape his nose. “I suppose we were just meant to be together.”

“Heart and mind,” Patton replied and ran a hand over Logan’s forehead. “At least you don’t feel so warm anymore.”

“Perhaps it’s finally passing.” 

Logan wondered what kind of damage his internal organs suffered without proper care and rolled over. Patton’s calm voice reached through the silence of the room and sang a lullaby from his childhood. Logan recognized the tune and closed his eyes.

If he imagined it hard enough, he could picture his father humming the melody to chase away the thunder’s rumble. It even soothed his stomach for the first time in three days. Logan welcomed the euphoria of sleep after being denied for so long. He repeated the common causes of food poisoning in his head, noting salmonella from dairy usually took a maximum of three days to work itself out of the system and hoped this would be the end of his misery.

This would be the last time he ate chocolate ice cream from that store for a while.

\--

Logan sighed as he ran a hand through his hair for the fifth time. Catching up on his schoolwork while studying for finals ate away all his free time. Patton tried several times to help, but Logan usually chased him away with his assertive temperament. Thankfully, Patton knew Logan well enough that he didn’t take it personally. He knew Logan was frustrated.

If there was one thing Logan was thankful for in his life, it was Patton’s ability to see the best in people like him.

Logan tried to force his glasses up his nose out of habit, but he remembered nothing rested there. He felt naked without them. However, with his sickness getting better, he didn't want to take a chance and mess around with his vision. Perhaps he'd pop the lenses out and wear just the frames around. Someone would notice he didn't have contacts eventually.

Logan glanced over at the time. Four am always snuck upon him. He glanced outside at the nearly full moon glowing through their window and sighed. He knew when Patton woke up he’d regret staying up this late. He did promise Patton he'd stay up no later than three am, but passing was of the utmost importance. Graduation was less than a week away, and Logan didn’t want to ruin his chances of leaving this hell. Sleep could wait.

He’d turn into a lunatic if he stayed here another day.

Logan clicked off the lamp and curled into bed. He didn’t realize how much his eyes ached until he closed them.

\--

A low rumble shook Logan awake. His eyes snapped open, and he sprung up in bed. What was that? Was there an earthquake? Did Patton trip and fall again? His head snapped around and landed on the clock.

Nine in the morning. 

“Patton?” He called out. No chipper voice answered, and he slid out of bed to glance at the top bunk. Patton’s unmade bed greeted him with several blankets and stuffed animals. One, in particular, stared into Logan’s soul, as if it knew what he did and would squeal to Patton the first chance it got.

The rumble sounded again, and Logan cradled his stomach. He hummed and laughed at how silly he’d been. Of course he’d be hungry. Not only did he miss his usual breakfast hour, but he didn't eat much in the past seven days. Of course, the first three didn’t count because he was ejecting everything from his body at alarming rates, but they still counted towards his poor diet.

Perhaps it was time to grab something to eat.

Logan shuffled through the box of granola bars he and Patton kept on hand when they left the dorm in a hurry. He pulled out a granola bar with peanuts and almonds and tore the wrapper open. One of these could hold him over until lunch so he didn’t mess up his schedule too badly.

As he sat down on his bed, he scrolled through some unread messages on his phone. Most of them were a group text between him, Patton, and their father, and Logan noticed he’d finished his granola bar before he finished reading the first text. His stomach continued to growl. In a split decision, Logan opened another bar and began to munch on it.

_Patton: I know you’re worried, but Logan’s strong._

_Dad: I kno, but w/the stress of finals, I don’t want him overstressing himself :(_

_Patton: Even if he was, I’m taking care of him, just like I promised. He’s usually sleeping 8 hours a day and eating all three meals._

_Dad. Good. :)_

_Patton: And once finals are over, we’ll be home with you all summer! Well, I will. Logan will probably find a job right after school. They’d be crazy not to hire him._

_Dad: When did my little boys get so big?_

Logan smiled and sent back a quick text.

_Logan: Approximately 8 years ago when I stopped growing._

As his hands reached into the box to grab another granola bar, Logan hit empty cardboard. His brow twisted in confusion. Strange, he just bought this box yesterday, and there was supposed to be 18 bars in it. How many did Patton have for breakfast?

Logan put the box down and glanced at the pile of opened wrappers in his lap. He dug through them and counted fifteen wrappers.

Oh. He must’ve been hungrier than he thought.

Logan’s phone vibrated again, and he noticed a text from his father arrived in the group chat. He opened the message to read “Lol :P” from his dad and closed the lock screen on his phone.

As Logan stood to clean up his mess, he doubled over and gripped onto his stomach. Its growl shook the mattress. How could he still be this hungry after eating so many granola bars?

Logan opened the snack cabinet once again. He grabbed his jar of Crofter's and some crackers, and then returned to his bed. His next class wasn’t for another hour, so he could sneak in another meal before he headed out. He popped the lid off and dipped the cracker straight into the jar.

As he snacked, Logan twisted his once bitten arm around and examined the skin. Strange, the scabs from the bites had already healed. He shrugged it off, wondering if his mind amplified the situation more than it called for. 

For a few minutes, he continued to text his father back and forth. Patton was still in class, so he expected him to join the conversation later. His dad asked about Patton to make sure Logan held up his end of the bargain as well and watched out for his little brother.

_Logan: He’s no longer a child. Patton is quite capable of taking care of himself and others._

_Dad: I kno, I just worry. He’s 2 good 4 his own good._

_Logan: Patton needs to make his own mistakes as well. You and I will not always be there to protect him from those who wish to do him harm. It’s a hard lesson one has to learn when they raise a child. You cannot always protect them from everything._

_Dad: … who says I have to :P I’m ur dad. I’ll always worry a little bit about u 2._

Logan rolled his eyes and put his phone away. He licked the excess jelly from his lips and checked the damage he did to his jar and crackers. He already consumed over half of the jar, and he had three out of four cracker packs devoured. 

When did he develop such a healthy, or maybe unhealthy, appetite? Logan was always known as the picky eater of the family. And sure, he had a high metabolism, but he hadn’t eaten this much food in an hour even in his teen years when he grew six inches in three months.

At least his stomach didn’t hurt anymore.

Logan put the jar away and got his things together for his next class. He sent a quick text to Patton asking if they could have lunch together in the courtyard and put his satchel over his shoulder. The walk to his next class gave Patton enough time to respond with an enthusiastic “YES,” and Logan wondered if he should mention how he tore through 15 granola bars, most of his new jar of crofters, and almost a whole box of crackers in an hour.

The classroom held a light buzz of excited chatter from students ready to graduate within the month. Most of them had been through this hell with Logan since he started. There were a few undergraduates in the class, but not many.

“Good morning, Logan! Glad to see you’re feeling better.”

“Ah yes, good morning, Emile.” Logan sat down beside his friend of three years and put his satchel down between their seats. Emile leaned in on the counter and furrowed his brow.

“You look a little confused today. Everything okay?”

Logan rose a brow. He’d never understand how Emile could pierce through his stoic expressions and peg what conquered Logan’s mind.

“I’m merely concerned about passing graduation after all the work I’ve missed.” It was a half-truth. Logan caught Emile’s eye, and Emile sent a gentle smile back.

“Well, you know, if you need anything, I'll do my best to help.”

Logan nodded and replied, “Thanks.”

The professor silenced the room, and the class began.

Logan did his best to pay attention to the test. For some reason, his mind focused on what he was going to grab to eat for lunch this afternoon. Knowing Patton, he’d suggest the food court, but Logan couldn’t take the noise of so many people in one area. His stomach started to ache again, and Logan cradled it. He rested his forehead down on his paper and took deep breaths in.

And that’s when he heard it growl once again.

The sound deafened Logan’s attention to his thoughts. He raised his head from his book and noticed it brought a few other thoughts to a halt as well. Several students whispered and giggled, and Logan felt heat rise to his cheeks.

Emile chuckled beside him. He reached into his bag and pulled out a package of cheese crackers.

“Here, I think you could use them more than me,” Emile whispered.

Logan’s cheeks burned redder than before. He took the crackers and wished they came in quieter packaging. 

Another growl sounded from his stomach, and Logan leaped out of his chair. He could leave the last three questions blank. He grabbed his things and hurried out of the classroom before his stomach could disrupt class again. A few students laughed as he exited the room, and Logan’s ears started to burn from embarrassment. Emile called his name, but he couldn’t be bothered to turn around.

At least the class was almost over and he wouldn't have to go back again. Emile could catch up with him later, as he always had a habit of checking up on Logan to make sure he was okay.

“Logan!” Patton’s voice called out. He turned, and Patton bounced up to Logan’s side. Patton’s backpack jingled behind him. He continued, “Your class is out already? I didn’t expect to meet you for about fifteen minutes.”

Logan opened his mouth to say something, but his stomach growled and interrupted him. He put a hand to his gut and pursed his lips.

“Logan,” Patton’s voice came out in that low warning tone he used when he was upset, “did you skip out on breakfast?”

“Trust me, I had more than enough,” Logan mumbled back. 

Patton eyed him over, but he left it alone. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Okay, I trust you. Hey, where do you want to get something to eat, since you know, your stomach keeps growling?”

Logan put a hand on his stomach and massaged it. 

“You wait here. I’ll be right back,” Logan ordered. Patton opened his mouth to protest but nonetheless listened. Logan took a deep breath and walked off to a place he never thought he’d visit ever again. He’d probably regret this, but ever since he woke up, he craved it. He knew Patton’s order by heart so he could pick up his food as well. Besides, he owed him for the past three days when he made sure Logan’s face didn’t end up in the toilet.

When Logan returned with their food, Patton’s jaw nearly hit the ground. He stood up from his spot on the low stone wall and pulled a bag from Logan’s hands.

“How much food did you order?” Patton asked.

Logan spoke through the bag in his teeth, “Enough to satisfy this insane hunger I woke up with.”

They placed the food on the stones, sat down, and sandwiched the food bags between their hips. Logan searched around the bags until he pulled out Patton’s order of chicken fingers and fries with extra ketchup and pulled two bottles of water out of his bag.

“Logan,” Patton mumbled as he peeked into one of the bags, “did you order… cheeseburgers?”

“I did, along with a chicken sandwich and quite a few chicken nuggets. I’ll share a few with you if 6 aren’t enough for you,” Logan replied.

Patton pulled his lips into a puzzled grimace. “But, Lo, you haven’t touched greasy fast food in about 13 years, ever since-”

“I’m aware.”

“So why now?”

“Because I’m hungry, that’s why,” Logan answered. He unwrapped one of the cheeseburgers and took an inhumanly big bite of it. Patton waited to make sure Logan didn’t choke and unboxed his own chicken nuggets. 

For the first few minutes, the awkward silence choked Patton instead.

Almost every time Patton finished a chicken nugget, Logan would finish off a cheeseburger. Patton wondered if Logan inhaled them at this point. He stopped on his fifth chicken nugget and watched Logan with curiosity. Logan showed no signs of slowing down nor notice that Patton stopped to watch him.

“Logan,” Patton called out. Logan stopped mid-bite and looked over at him, “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Logan answered. He finished his bite and swallowed whatever reply he formed in his head.

Patton played with his fingers. “It’s just… you were so sick for those three days. And now you’re eating cheeseburgers. The other night, I heard you whimpering in your sleep, and you growled at me when we were playing cards. I know you’re stressed about finals and you don’t like talking about your feelings, but I’m really worried about you. If something is going on, please tell me. Please?”

Logan set the cheeseburger onto the napkin on his lap and turned to Patton. His lips pulled into a quirked smile, and he took a deep breath in and out. “Thank you for the concern, Patton, but I assure you that everything is satisfactory.”

Patton sighed through his nose and mumbled, “I was afraid you’d say that.” Logan quirked a brow, and Patton continued, “Logan, I do trust you, but please promise me if you ever feel comfortable enough telling me what’s going on you’ll tell me, okay?”

Logan stood up and grabbed the empty fast food bags. Patton tried to get Logan to stop, but he had already walked away to put them into the garbage bin. He returned and closed the space between him and Patton, their shoulders and thighs touching, and put his hands on his knees.

“I know you’re worried, but I can promise you that nothing has changed in my life. Well, aside from me being bitten and this monstrous appetite, nothing has at least.” Logan examined the area of skin where the teeth marks were almost a week ago. 

Patton clasped his hands and stared at them. “Okay.”

“Patton, you were my first and my closest friend. You’ve seen me at my worst, and you’ve still supported me nonetheless. You were there when I came out to our father, and you were there when we buried my mother. I have no reason to hide something serious from you because I know there are no risks.” Logan put a hand on Patton's own and gave it a squeeze. “If there was anyone I’d tell all my secrets to, it’d be you.”

Patton couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his lips. He nodded his head and sighed.

“Okay, I trust you.”

“Thank you. Now, I saw you were failing your algebra class. Would you like me to review with you for your final?”

\--

Logan groaned as he pulled his blanket over his head. He curled in on his stomach and massaged it. He knew eating all those cheeseburgers would come back to haunt him. The clicking noise of Patton typing on his laptop above his head stopped, and Logan held his breath.

“Lo, you okay down there?” Patton asked.

“I’m fine,” Logan responded. “Just suffering some indigestion from overeating.”

“I told you to stop at the chili cheese dog and loaded nachos this afternoon.”

Logan grumbled an incomprehensible response.

Patton sighed and shut his laptop lid. “Want me to come down and rub your stomach like our mom used to?”

“That’s unnecessary,” Logan replied, but he had already heard the thump of Patton’s feet on the floor of their dorm. He rubbed his face into his pillow and sighed. “Go back to bed, Patton.”

The blanket lifted off Logan’s shoulder, and the cool breeze clenched Logan’s stomach muscles and tightened his fetal position further. He let out a low groan.

Patton sent a sympathetic smile, “Hey there, kiddo.”

“I’m not in the mood to be patronized,” Logan growled and grabbed the corner of the blanket. He rolled over and wrapped himself up like sushi.

Patton put his hands on his hips and sighed through his nose. “You know, if I told anyone that Logan Shea was being childish right now, no one would believe me.”

“That’s a negative thing?”

“No, but I- never mind. Hey, why don’t I make you some peppermint tea?”

Logan paused and tossed his head over in Patton’s direction. “With honey?”

“Extra honey just for you.”

“I guess that would suffice.”

Patton hummed and went over to their portable stove top to set a kettle on the burner. Logan fished his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the time. In three hours, it’d be midnight, and he would have to take his first final in the morning. He should be studying, not laying in bed.

Logan pushed the blanket off him. Goosebumps rose on his skin, and a shiver tore through his body. He caught sight of the full moon peeking over the trees and shining through the curtains of his dorm. Huh, he always liked sitting under the light of the moon. Perhaps it would bring some dopamine into his system and ease his stomach.

A childish thought, but he’d try anything at this point.

As Logan set his feet onto the floor, pain jabbed his kneecaps and toppled his balance. Logan cried out as he fell. The thud alerted Patton, who turned around and rushed over to him.

“Logan?” He cried out as he knelt down, “are you okay? What happened?”

Logan opened his mouth to reply, but his heart pounded in his chest, and he feared if he opened his mouth again it would jump out. His whole body started to throb. Logan clenched his teeth and realized his legs ached like when he got growing pains as a child. The floor slid out from under him, and he felt like he was falling.

Patton retracted his hand. Logan’s body burned like an inferno. He ran over to the counter, turned off the burner for the tea, and started to drench a paper towel in cold water.

A loud growl gripped Patton's attention. He spun around and dropped the towel on the floor. Logan’s body rapidly grew hair. His fingernails elongated into claws, and his nose pushed away from his face into a long snout. Clothing tore as Logan’s body grew, and it couldn’t contain his new size. The only thing that clung to him was his tie, now loosened around a thick mass of black fur. 

Patton covered his mouth in a silent scream. He backed into the counter. His eyes flashed over to the door, and he wondered if he’d have enough time to get out of here before anything happened.

Paws thundered on the floor as Logan stood up on his hind legs and hit his head off the ceiling. He whimpered and brought a pawed hand up to rub the spot. Logan shook his head, his ears making a flapping noise as he did so, and sat back on his hind legs. 

Ice blue eyes settled on Patton and froze Patton in place. Logan’s tail wagged as he took three steps toward Patton. Patton’s throat finally let out a sharp whimper, and he crawled onto the countertop. With Logan between him and the doorway, there was no way to escape now.

Maybe if he was lucky, this was just a horrible nightmare and he’d wake by falling off the top bunk again.

The now wolf Logan tilted his head to the side, much like a dog when someone spoke to it and it didn’t understand. He brought his nose close to the counter and sniffed Patton’s legs.

Patton blinked the tears from his eyes and sucked in a sharp breath. He looked around the counter for anything to defend himself with. He didn’t want to hurt Logan, but if it meant saving his life, he might have to.

Logan brought his head close to Patton’s own. Patton twisted his head to the side and held his breath. Logan’s leathery, wet nose brushed Patton’s cheek, and Patton squeezed his eyes shut. A slobbery tongue licked one of the tears off Patton's freckled face. Patton sucked a sharp gasp through his teeth. 

The wolf whined and nuzzled his nose under Patton’s chin as if trying to comfort him. Patton clenched and unclenched his hands. The wolf’s tail wagged back and forth behind him, and Patton slowly reached up to run a hand through Logan’s fur. It felt coarse and thick to the touch. He slipped his hand over Logan’s fur several times before the knot in his stomach released. 

Petting his brother was not on his to-do list today, but sometimes that’s just how life went apparently.

Logan’s teeth gripped the collar of Patton’s polo. He dragged Patton over toward his bed. Patton tried to slip out of his shirt, but before he could, the wolf tossed him onto the bottom bunk. Patton cried out as he rolled onto his back. The wolf climbed onto the bed as well, the bunk bed groaning in protest under their combined weight. 

Patton tried to roll off. The wolf grabbed him around the middle and pinned Patton against his chest. Patton’s body shook. The wolf’s ears perked up as he stared down at Patton, and he licked the tears off Patton’s face once again. Patton spat the drool off his lips. Logan’s tongue then started grooming Patton’s hair, making it stick up in all different directions. Patton wanted to brush it back to normal, but with the way Logan pinned both Patton’s arms to his side, he had a feeling he’d wake up with a permanent cow lick- er wolf lick.

When Logan was satisfied with Patton’s new hairstyle, he laid down and cradled Patton under his chest like a doll. He nuzzled his nose under Patton’s neck and let out a content sigh.

Patton spat the fur off his lips. He attempted to wiggle out of Logan's grip, but the wolf let out a warning growl, and his whole body froze. Patton's eyes searched the room for their digital clock. With Logan's body pinning down his arms and legs, he had a feeling he wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. 

Patton stared up at the ceiling of their bunk and tried his best to go to sleep. Hopefully, when he opened his eyes the next day, he’d have a heck of a tale to tell Logan.

\--

Disappointment woke Patton up as he realized that last night did in fact happen, and now he had his near naked brother lying on top of his body.

Patton found he could easily wiggle out from under Logan now and put as much distance between him and Logan as he could, but not before covering Logan up with his galaxy blanket. He tripped over the shredded clothes on the floor and landed on the counter's edge. Patton twisted his body and tried to wrap his mind around what happened last night.

In all the years Patton knew Logan, he’d never guess that he was a werewolf.

No, that couldn’t be right. Logan never changed before. He would’ve known it. He and Logan spent many nights camped out under a full moon and staring at the stars, so what changed in that short amount of time?

Logan groaned, and Patton held his breath. He ran a hand through his black hair and sat up on his elbows. Half asleep blue eyes caught Patton’s startled expression, and he sent a quirked smile.

“Good morning,” Logan greeted.

Patton let out a nervous laugh. How much of last night did Logan remember? Obviously not much if he was in this chipper of a mood.

“Uh, good morning,” Patton replied.

Logan shivered, and he looked down. He gasped and brought his blanket closer around his body. A blush tinted his face red. Logan swallowed hard and stared at the floor. His arms gripped the side of the bed as he leaned over the edge and caught sight of his torn clothes on the ground.

“Patton,” he whispered, but his mind couldn’t formulate a continuation. He wrapped the blanket tighter around his chest and started to shake.

Patton walked over to Logan and sat beside him. He chewed on his lip.

“How much of last night do you remember?” Patton asked.

“Not much,” Logan mumbled back. He furrowed his brow and licked his dry lips. “What happened.”

“Weeeeell,” Patton played with his fingers. “You’re going to think I’m nuts for thinking this, and I swear I’m telling the truth, but let’s just say… you were a real animal in bed last night.”

“That’s not even remotely funny, Patton.”

“But it’s true.”

Logan brought his fingers out from under the blanket to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Please tell me I did not get intoxicated and defile someone last night.”

“You didn’t.” Patton paused. “At least, I don’t think you did.”

Logan sighed and rubbed his arms. “Then what happened?”

Patton took a deep breath and relayed the events from last night. Logan listened with a stone face. For a while, Patton even wondered if Logan was listening, let alone taking him seriously.

When Patton finished, Logan remained silent. 

Patton swallowed hard and sent a wary smile. “At least you didn’t hurt anyone-”

“I don’t want to believe it, but with all the events that happened over the past two weeks, I’m finding it relatively hard to deny it.”

Patton blinked in surprise. “Wait, you really believe this?”

“Think about it. My aggressive appetite and hunger for meat, my sudden intolerance to ice cream- chocolate to be exact, my rapidly healed eyesight,” Logan examined his forearm where he was bitten. “There's no other possible cause."

“Yeah, I guess it makes sense.”

“It’s no wonder my mind has tried to think up a solution for this problem.”

“Uh-”

“I’ve been stumped for so long, this brings everything into perspective. However, when I wake up, I’m going to have to try and figure out if my arm is infected and caused this fever dream. I knew my allergy to penicillin would detriment me at some point."

“Logan-”

“But first, I have an exam to get to. Even if this is a dream, I don’t want to fail.”

Patton tried to get Logan to wait and listen, but Logan dressed and walked out the door before he could reason with him. Patton flopped down on Logan’s bed and lifted his glasses to press his palms into his eyes.

Convincing Logan last night happened was proving to be more difficult than he thought.

\--

Thankfully, the rest of Patton and Logan’s time during finals went rather well. Logan’s hunger subsided, and he was back to his normal eating habits. The two of them had started packing up their things to return home, and Patton decided it was time to start saying goodbye to all his friends before the summer hit and they were apart for three months.

Patton bounced around campus, passing students and professors left and right. He said hello to the few he knew and kept an eye out for those who he searched for.

“Damian!” Patton called out. He waved and ran up to his friend.

Damian turned around, his brown eyes catching Patton and sending a smile. However, it soon disappeared, and he covered his nose.

“Patton,” Damian said through his hands.

Patton froze in his tracks and tilted his head to the side a bit. “What’s wrong?”

“Did you forget to shower this morning?” Damian asked. “What did you do, roll around in garbage?”

Patton rubbed a hand over his neck. It was true; he hadn’t showered this morning. However, he didn’t think that he smelled that bad.

Damian grabbed Patton’s arm, making him jump. He started twisting it all over, then pulled his head to the side and examined his neck. He brought his nose close to Patton’s neck and took a deep breath.

“Uh, Damian,” Patton said with a nervous laugh. “What’s going on?”

A sigh of relief left Damian’s lips, and he ran a hand through his hair. “Nothing. Just wanted to see if it was really you that I smelled.”

“Okay,” Patton replied. 

Damian wrapped an arm around Patton’s shoulder and brought him in close. He said, “You know, I think you should spend the summer at my house. I think we could use some quality bonding time together.”

“The whole summer?” Patton squeaked.

“Why not? I think you’d enjoy the Arizona air. It’s actually breathable, unlike this humid swamp.”

“I don’t know, kiddo,” Patton replied. He gave a slight laugh. “I mean, I know you’re cold-blooded, but some of us sweat, and if you think I smell now-”

“How about a month then? I think my parents would love you.”

Patton chewed his lips. “Thanks but no thanks.”

A deep frown set on Damian’s lips before he sighed through his nose. “Well, if you change your mind, you have my number. And if you ever need help-”

“Patton,” a voice called behind them. Both Patton and Damian turned. Patton popped on a friendly grin, while Damian sent a cocky smirk.

“Virgil, so nice to see you,” Damian cooed, “You’re like a zit on prom night.”

“Shut it, mosquito breath,” Virgil growled.

“Hey Virgil,” Patton spoke. He moved to walk away from Damian but found his friend's fingers digging into his arm. “Uh, Damian, kiddo, you can let go.”

Damian hesitated before retracting his hand. He stared down Virgil as the latter shifted closer to Patton.

Virgil opened his mouth to speak, but he paused and smelled the air. His golden eyes glanced over at Patton, who sent a sheepish smile.

“I didn’t shower this morning, sorry,” Patton responded.

“I hope it wasn’t your fault,” Damian remarked. Virgil’s neck hair bristled. 

Patton pushed between the two of them and offered a too wide smile. “Hey, easy. It’s the last day. Is it really that hard to be nice?”

Damian snuffed and hissed, “To him?”

“Yes. Yes, it is,” Virgil growled.

Patton sighed. He scratched his head and opened his mouth to talk more, but Virgil grabbed his hand.

“Can I talk to you in private?” Virgil asked. He looked over his shoulders and caught Damian’s intense stare.

“Sure, kiddo,” Patton responded. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Virgil already pulled him away and far out of earshot from anyone else. Patton opened his mouth to ask what was going on when Virgil shut the family bathroom door and locked it behind them. For a moment, all Virgil did was stare at the door.

“Patton, I have a really crazy question to ask you.”

“Oookay.”

Virgil started pacing. He opened his mouth a few times to ask, but he closed it soon after with a growl. Patton stayed silent and watched his friend work out his nerves. Finally, Virgil stopped and took a deep breath.

“Patton, who have you been with the past 24 hours?”

Patton pulled out his fingers and started counting, “Well, my brother mostly. I said goodbye to Mr. Mare this morning, then I went to get coffee and donuts with Thomas. Then I saw Damian, and then you showed up-”

“No, I mean, like-” Virgil squeezed his hands through his hair.

“Breathe-”

“I KNOW-” Virgil snapped. He cleared his throat. “Sorry, I’m just-”

“Take your time.”

“Can you stop interrupting me?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” He zipped his fingers over his lips.

Virgil blew a heavy breath through his own lips. He spat out, “Patton, do you know anything about werewolves?”

Patton froze. He sucked in a deep breath and let out a too cheerful laugh. “Now, kiddo, what kind of question is that?”

“I can smell that you’re nervous.”

Patton snapped his jaw shut. Virgil stood with his back facing Patton, and he clenched and unclenched his hands.

Virgil continued, “Pat, I… well I mean, my whole family actually- we’re all werewolves. Me, Roman, my mom, my dad, my aunts and uncles, cousins- you get the point. I know this sounds stupid and crazy, but I… the way you smell is not a normal human smell, and I’m worried.”

Patton reached out to touch Virgil’s shoulder, but he retracted it and instead clasped his hands together in front of his chest.

“Well, I-” Patton started. He chewed on his lip. Virgil turned around expecting Patton to continue, and Patton added, “I mean, I may have recently run into one.”

“Wait, what? Are you okay? They didn’t bite you, did they? Well, I mean, I would’ve known if they bit you because I’d be able to tell if you were a werewolf too but-” Virgil paused. “Who is it?”

Patton swallowed hard. He eyed Virgil carefully, who took a step forward. Patton took a step back. Virgil froze, and Patton glanced down at the floor.

“You’re not going to hurt them if I tell you, are you?”

“I- I don’t know, Pat. Not all werewolves are nice, and I just- I want to make sure, okay?”

“I can protect myself,” Patton responded, puffing his chest out a little.

Virgil snorted through his nose. “Okay, fine, but with the way Damian and I were touching you today, I want to make sure they don’t get territorial or anything.”

“Territorial?” Patton repeated. His voice came out in a near whisper, “Is he going to pee on me?”

Virgil let out a bark of a laugh and startled Patton a bit. Patton nervously chuckled. 

“No, but he might come after us, and I’d rather not have another territory struggle on my hands,” Virgil replied.

Patton opened his mouth to ask, but he decided to finally open up instead. “It’s my brother, Logan.”

Virgil furrowed his brow. “Wait, but I’ve smelled Logan on you tons of times. He always smelled like a human.”

“Well, this was… rather recent,” Patton said with a nervous chuckle.

Virgil’s face grimaced, and Patton swallowed thickly.

“Was he bitten over a jar of Crofter's?”

“Uh, yeah, but-”

“That fucking moron!”

“Excuse me?”

“Pat, Roman was the one who bit Logan.”

Patton paused, and Virgil pulled out his phone. Virgil swiped through until he pulled up Roman’s contact and jabbed his finger on the call button. Patton opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but Virgil held up his finger to silence him and put Roman on speaker.

After three rings, Roman’s voice picked up.

“Good morning, My Chemical Bromance, to what do I owe the honor-”

“You turned Logan Shea into a fucking werewolf,” Virgil growled.

The line grew silent. A wary voice called through, “Who is Logan?”

“Patton’s brother.”

“Oh,” was the only response they got for 30 seconds. Patton wondered if the line went dead. Roman continued, “Wait, the same Patton who hangs around with you and Flea Balzary?”

“That’s the one,” Virgil responded.

“Who’s Flea Balzary?” Patton asked.

The other end of the phone grew silent. Virgil asked if Roman was still there, and he got a cleared throat in response.

“Virgil, who else is with you?”

“Just Patton,” Virgil replied.

“Hi,” Patton chirped with a small wave.

Roman breathed a heavy sigh, and he spoke, “Well, hello there, Patton. I’m sorry we had to meet this way- well sort of. We haven’t actually met, but- Logan, is he alright?”

Virgil looked up at Patton for confirmation.

Patton played with his fingers as he answered, “He, uh, he doesn’t think he’s a werewolf.”

“I honestly wouldn’t expect him to. Tell you what, Patton, you bring Logan over to our dorm, and we’ll explain everything. I mean, he’s going to be a werewolf for the rest of his life now, and no level of sane thinking is going to ever deny that.”

“Okay,” Patton replied.

Roman continued, “Oh, and Virgil, I don’t appreciate you chewing up my jersey.”

“You left it on my bed. I told you not to.”

“Then put it on mine like a normal human being.”

“Never.” Virgil hung up the phone before Roman could reply to him. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry to get you all mixed up in this.”

“It’s no problem,” Patton responded. He let out a sigh of relief. “Honestly, I was starting to wonder if it never happened and I really did dream up the whole thing.”

Virgil sent a sympathetic smile. “I wish I could tell you this was all a dream.”

\--

Logan sighed as he followed Patton and Virgil off to Virgil’s dorm. Honestly, he didn’t have time for this. There was still so much to pack, and their father would be there in the morning to pick them up. He had to double check to make sure he and Patton both didn’t leave anything behind.

Patton kept trying to bring lightheartedness into the conversation, but between Virgil’s nervousness on revealing a family secret to a complete stranger (even if he was Patton’s brother) and Logan’s irritation, he couldn’t get anyone to respond. 

Eventually, they got to the Freshman’s dorm, and Roman opened the door with an all too eager smile.

“Come on in,” he greeted with an arm open wide. Virgil rolled his eyes and stepped in. Patton followed after and earned a genuine smile from Roman. When Logan stepped in, Roman took a deep breath and tried to keep his smile from disappearing.

“I hope you’re not going to bite me again,” Logan snapped.

“Depends,” Roman replied and earned a kick in the shin from Virgil. Roman yelped and glared at his brother, who closed the door behind Logan.

“Lo, this is Roman. He wants to apologize for biting you,” Patton spoke.

Logan raised a brow and folded his arms. Roman twisted his hands together and swallowed his nerves down his throat.

Roman spoke, “Yes, well, that was an unfortunate accident.”

“Unfortunate?” Logan barked. “You bit me over a jar of Crofter's. I can understand the sentiment, but I would never harm another human being over it.”

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t in the best of moods at the time,” Roman snapped back. He ran a hand through his hair. 

“Obviously. However, apology accepted. Now, Patton, can I go home? I have a lot of work to get done.”

“Not yet,” Virgil spoke up, and Logan turned his attention to him.

“We have something to discuss,” Roman added. Logan turned his attention between the three people in the dorm and sighed.

“I really don’t have time for this.” He turned to leave.

Virgil stared him down, a low growl sounded through his throat, “You really need to hear this.”

Logan’s gut twisted with dread. Something about the look in the two stranger's eyes sent warning signals screaming through his brain. 

“What’s going on?” Logan asked, taking a step back. He grabbed Patton’s hand and partially stepped in front of his brother to shield him from the other two.

“Logan, when I bit you,” Roman started, “You see, sometimes when a pureblood werewolf bites someone- even if they’re not shifted- well it can sometimes lead to the person becoming a-”

“Logan, Roman turned you into a werewolf,” Virgil spat out. 

Logan opened and closed his mouth three times before he finally turned to Patton and said, “You’re playing a practical joke on me, aren’t you?”

“No!” Patton protested and held his hands up. “I swear, Logan, we’re being serious right now.”

“You’re still on about this werewolf business? Patton, werewolves are not real. They’re make-believe. They don’t exist.”

“Could you tell the government that? Because I really don’t want to pay taxes,” Virgil mumbled.

Logan sent him a rather nasty glare, and Virgil rolled his eyes.

“Logan, I swear on my father’s grave that we’re being honest,” Roman said and put a hand to his chest. “I can’t prove it to you now, but if you wait until the night of the full moon-”

“I honestly don’t have time for this,” Logan growled. He turned and pulled Patton’s hand along with him. “Come on, Patton, we have work to do.”

“But-”

Roman growled, “Logan, please be reasonable!”

“I am being reasonable! It’s you lot who are insane.”

“Tell me you remember what happened the night of the full moon, and I’ll let it all go,” Roman snapped back.

Logan opened his mouth to speak. He closed it and opened it again.

“I was in my room, I fell asleep, and then I woke up the next morning. Nothing extraordinary there.”

Roman growled in frustration and scrubbed his hands down his face.

“You-”

“Fine, you don’t want to believe us, just go,” Virgil snapped.

“Virgil-”

“No, Roman, obviously he doesn’t want to listen. There’s no point wasting our breath on him.”

Patton pulled on Logan’s hand and urged, “Please, Logan, please just listen to them. They’re only trying to help.”

Logan eyed his brother over. He glanced up at the other two before taking in a deep breath and exhaling through his nose.

“The only way they’re going to help us now, Patton, is if they help us pack to go home.”

Patton’s head lowered. Tears of frustration pricked at his eyes, and he clenched his teeth.

“Why do you have to be so stubborn?”

Logan shook his head. He mumbled, “You can stay here and play pretend, but I have work to do. Meet me at the car in an hour if you want me to drive you home.”

Logan pulled his hand from Patton’s grasp. He walked out the door and slammed it behind him.

Patton’s shoulders tensed as the door slammed shut. His body stiffened, and he blinked his eyes so tears would not fall onto his cheeks.

Virgil blew a heavy breath through his lips. “That went well.”

“I’m sorry,” Patton apologized. He played with his fingers. “I didn’t mean to waste your time.”

“Worry not, Patton. I could smell werewolf all over him,” Roman answered. “Whether Logan chooses to believe it or not, he is a werewolf, and he will end up shifting on the next full moon.”

“Can’t you both shift into werewolves and show him?” Patton asked.

“This isn’t a movie. We can’t shift at will,” Virgil answered.

Patton sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He walked over to the door, turned the handle, and paused before leaving.

“What do I do? I mean, when he shifts on the full moon.”

Virgil snuffed. “Stay out of his way and hope he doesn’t eat you.”

Roman sent his brother a nasty look before he turned to Patton. “Virgil and I will try our best to be there.”

“Are you kidding me? Do you know how much of a bad idea that is?”

“Do you have a better one?”

Virgil opened his mouth to answer but closed it soon after. He crossed his arms and grumbled under his breath.

“Don’t worry, Patton. You won’t be alone in this. If Virgil won’t help, I will do my best to be there for you when he transforms on the next full moon. You have my word.” Roman walked over to Patton and held out his phone. “Here, take my number. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”

Patton nodded his head and sent a grateful smile. He copied Roman’s number into his contacts and sighed through his nose.

“Thank you.”

“No problem at all, little puffball,” Roman spoke. “I have a feeling we’re going to need each other later on.”

\--

Logan shifted his car into gear and pulled out of the college parking lot for the last time. Well, at least until he drove Patton back in three months.

Patton rolled his window down and waved goodbye to a few friends. He settled back down into his seat and let the window open. The mild spring air tossed his hair around. His eyes kept flickering over to Logan, and the latter sighed through his nose.

“You have a question?” Logan asked.

Patton squeezed his hands together. “Are you okay? I mean, this is the last time you're going to be here.”

“I’m still under the assumption that this is all a wild hallucination due to sleep deprivation and I’ll wake up in my dorm bed before taking any of my finals,” Logan replied, “but yes, I am satisfactory.”

Patton nodded his head. He leaned his elbow on the window sill, and his eyes watched the trees pass by in a blur. 

For a while, the ride home was silent. The campus was about an hour drive from their home, and they both knew the roads by heart. Ever since they were little, Logan dreamed of going to this college and becoming a doctor so he could stop anyone from suffering the same fate his mother did. They took so many visits to the campus when they were little, and their parents saved up for years so they could go. Realizing that Logan’s dream was soon a reality warmed Patton’s heart. All the years of financial struggles were about to pay off, and he hoped his own journey would be just as successful.

Their familiar childhood suburb pulled into view. Nostalgia gripped Patton’s heart as he watched familiar street signs pass. He caught sight of the park where he and Logan first met all those years ago. Memories played in his mind like a movie.

Logan accidentally pushed Patton's sandcastle over while following an ant trail, and Patton cried for a half hour before he was consoled. Logan offered to help him build it back up after he calmed down. The two of them worked for hours, and quite a few kids asked if they could join in. Soon, it was a playground production. They built a sandcastle that covered the whole sandbox, and their parents were so proud.

Then a dog chasing a frisbee ran through it and ruined it.

Patton chuckled. Logan glanced out of the corner of his eye and quirked a brow.

“Something on your mind?” Logan asked.

“Just remembering stuff,” Patton responded. He sighed. “Remember when you fell off the fire pole because you were too afraid to hold on with your legs?”

Logan shuddered, “Don’t remind me.”

“Okay, I give that memory a _break_.”

“Patton.”

“What? You have a _bone_ to pick with me?”

Logan contemplated pulling over to the side of the road and making Patton walk the rest of the way home.

The sight of their home came into view, and a wave of relief eased Logan’s tense muscles. Here, everything that happened in the past two weeks or so could go away. Here, he was just a young man who was returning home from college.

No werewolf nonsense here.

Logan pulled the car into the driveway and put it in park. For a moment, Patton and he stared up at the familiar whiteboards in silence, appreciating the moment for what it was. Then Patton exited the car, and Logan followed soon after.

“It’s quiet,” Patton pointed out.

“It’s suspicious,” Logan mumbled. “We did tell them our arrival date was today, did we not?”

“Maybe they had to run to the store,” Patton responded. He inserted his key into the lock and gave it a twist.

From outside, Logan could hear whispers from inside. He grabbed Patton’s hand on the door handle, stopping him from opening it. 

“Someone’s inside,” Logan grumbled. He smelled the air, and several scents lingered on the doorstep. Multiple people were here. Some of the scents he didn’t recognize and sent alarm bells through his mind.

Patton turned to Logan and quirked a brow. “It’s probably mom and dad.”

“No,” Logan growled. He nudged Patton away and placed his own hand on the door handle. Logan took a deep breath in. He twisted the door handle and swung the door open wide.

“SURPRISE!!”

Logan’s glasses slid down his nose a little as he froze in the doorway. Patton peeked around Logan and started to laugh.

“Aww, a surprise party?” Patton shouted over the clapping and cheering.

Their mom and dad, who stood up from behind the couch, walked over to their two boys. Patton ran forward and nearly knocked his mom over, who wrapped her son up in the biggest hug she could manage. Logan missed when his father arrived in front of him.

“Well, how’s it feel to be a graduated college student?” his dad asked as he clapped a hand down on Logan’s shoulder. Logan recoiled. He nearly flashed his teeth at his dad but regained his composure. 

He was a human for god’s sake, not some wild animal.

“No different than when I woke up yesterday morning,” Logan responded in a cool voice. 

“I wouldn’t expect any less from you,” his father responded. “Go eat some cake, relax, and try to have a good time, okay?”

Logan gave a short nod and finally released the breath he’d held in his chest.

Patton blended into the crowd unsurprisingly well. Social gatherings were always his forte, while Logan usually trailed behind him like an awkward toddler. The younger brother bounced from aunt to uncle to cousin, telling each one all about his college adventures. Some looked politely interested while others engaged Patton, asked questions, and gave input to keep the conversation going.

One aunt Logan noticed kept a particular distance from him, and he caught her eye. The mere sight of her sent chills down Logan’s spine. Not only that, but every time he got too close to her, he began to feel sick, but it cleared as soon as he stepped away from her.

That was… odd.

“Logan!” Patton called out, breaking his brother’s concentration. Logan rose a brow and turned to Patton, who held out a cup of lemonade to him. Patton continued, “You know what they say: when life gives you lemons-”

“Thank you,” Logan said as he took the cup. 

“I know you hate surprise parties,” Patton mumbled. He looked down into his own cup.

“It’s exhausting,” Logan responded, “and since my nerves are a mess, my senses are heightened. I can see and smell too many things at once.”

Patton nodded his head and took a drink.

Logan continued, “I’m going to attempt to escape to my bedroom. Keep everyone away if you can.”

“I can try,” Patton responded, “but Aunt Alice has been asking about you a lot. She’s asking some… really odd questions.”

“Her especially,” Logan mumbled. He scanned the crowd one last time for his estranged aunt and walked up the stairs to his room.

“Logan!” his father called out, making the hair on Logan’s neck rise, “the party’s down here. Don’t tell me you’re already calling it a day.”

“I’m exhausted from finals and had to drive the whole way home. I’m not in the mood for a party,” Logan responded.

His dad deflated a bit. “Oh, well, I’m sorry if we upset you-”

“Patton seems to be enjoying himself, so it wasn’t a wasted effort. I shall return once I take a nap.”

His dad sneezed, and Logan blessed him.

“Okay, we’ll save you some cake.”

Logan recalled his three day illness. “Only if it’s vanilla.”

“One slice of vanilla cake with Logan’s name on it going in the fridge.”

His dad sneezed again and rubbed his nose. He mumbled about someone having dog fur on their clothes and hugging him.

Logan sent a genuine smile before retreating up the stairs to his room. The second floor muffled a bit of the chatter, but Logan could still hear it like he was still in the living room. He’d have to invest in earplugs at this rate.

As Logan approached his room, a heavy scent reached his nose. He paused a few steps outside his doorway and took a deep breath in. It seemed to come from his room. Logan tiptoed to his door and put a hand on the handle. The strange scent overpowered his own, and he swallowed his dry throat.

Logan twisted the door open and examined the room. His galaxy bedspread rested against the wall, and his computer desk guarded the corner opposite of it. His window cracked and let in a light breeze, the lace curtain flapping a bit. 

His dresser sat against the wall. On top of that, Logan noticed someone had been burning incense. The smell was sweet and earthy, and it turned Logan’s stomach. For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to enter his room. He closed his door and took a few breaths of fresh air.

That’s strange. He usually loved the smell of incense.

Logan turned from his room and headed toward the bathroom, but he noticed someone standing in the doorway. Logan paused and watched his Aunt Alice light up a stick of incense and leave it on the bathroom sink. Logan took a deep breath of fresh air and approached the room.

The sick feeling returned to his stomach.

“Aunt Alice, we have air fresheners on the back of the toilet,” Logan informed.

His aunt turned to look at him, her green eyes studying him with contempt. She curled her lip into a grimace and walked out of the room. The strong smell followed her out. Logan stopped himself from covering his nose and held his breath.

“I’m aware,” she replied.

“Then please extinguish the incense in the bathroom. I’m afraid you’ll aggravate Patton’s asthma.”

“Ah, yes, I forgot about that,” she grumbled. She dug around in her purse and grabbed some sort of perfume. “I wouldn’t want any harm to come to my second favorite nephew.”

Logan’s lungs burned. He resisted the urge to breathe until his aunt turned around. The strong smell burned his lungs further, and he hid a cough behind his shirt sleeve. Alice extinguished the stick with cold water and placed it on the counter to cool. 

“Thank you,” Logan responded as she closed the bathroom door behind her. 

She eyed Logan over once more and curled her nose. Logan watched her descend the stairs. His shoulders relaxed, and Logan failed to realize just how many of his muscles locked from the conversation.

What was that stuff? Why did the smell burn Logan’s lungs and make him want to vomit?

Was… maybe what Patton was going on about him being a werewolf had some truth- no. That was ridiculous. Werewolves don’t exist.

Logan hastened back to his room. He covered his nose with his shirt collar and walked in. The smell slipped through the threads and burned his nose. His head spun. Logan reached out and grabbed the unlit tip, and it burned his fingers. He let out a sharp hiss. Logan raced toward the bathroom to put out the stick as quickly as possible. 

After placing the extinguished incense down on the counter, Logan examined his fingers. Redness coated his fingers, but it didn’t look too severe. The stick’s burn was too far up and shouldn't have injured him whatsoever.

What was this stuff?

Logan walked back to his bedroom. He placed a moveable fan in front of his window and positioned it to spread fresh air into the room. Within a few minutes, the smell disappeared enough for Logan to shut his door, and he took a deep breath in.

After fishing his phone from his pocket, Logan googled scents that would repel werewolves just for curiosity's sake. He came up with wolfsbane, but apparently, that had no smell. 

With a buzzing mind, Logan walked out of his room and leaned over the stair railings. He spied Patton talking to some family members and waved his hands to grab Patton’s attention. 

Patton turned toward him. He smiled and waved back.

“Patton, I need a word with you,” Logan yelled over the chatter.

Patton excused himself from his guests and walked over to the stairs.

“What’s up, Logan?”

Logan shifted his weight from one foot to the next. He asked, “You wouldn’t happen to have Roman’s number by chance, would you?”

“Roman?” Patton’s eyes widened, and a grin spread across his face. “I do. Why?”

“I just-” Logan ran a hand through his hair- “I wish to get better acquainted with him is all.”

“Oh, okay,” Patton said with a wink.

Logan’s cheeks flushed. “I am not crushing on him. I merely wish to discuss the Crofter’s incident in more detail. Perhaps we could reconcile.”

“Ooookay,” Patton replied, his smile still wide. He fished his phone out of his pocket and scrolled until he found Roman’s number. He showed it to Logan, who copied it into his phone. Logan cleared his throat when he finished and thanked Patton for his time. He climbed the rest of the stairs and hastened into his room.

At least the smell dissipated a bit in the rest of the house. 

Logan sat on his bed, rested his forehead in his palm, and grabbed his hair. With a gentle tug, he stared at Roman’s contact number in his phone. How did he word this without alerting the other of his situation? It could be a coincidence that his aunt had burned a smell that affected him so much. It could be a coincidence that all this werewolf stuff would affect him.

Logan opened the messenger and stared at the blinking cursor for a moment. He finally typed a coherent sentence.

_Good afternoon, Roman. This is Logan Shea, the person you bit over the jar of crofters. I am messaging you with a question. Hypothetically speaking, are there certain smells that affect a werewolf? I’m curious, and you seem to be into werewolves. If you wish to answer, I would be grateful to know. If not, I hope your day ends well._

Logan waited a moment or two before hitting the send button. That sounded formal and not urgent whatsoever right? He never understood tone over text. How many times had he asked someone a simple question only to get accused of being angry? 

Logan sighed and set his phone on his bed. He didn’t expect a reply so quick, and definitely not several messages popping up afterward. 

_Roman: Lavender is a good. I love the smell of lavender_

_Roman: OH! And it gets rid of mosquitos and stuff because they don’t like the smell. Great for leaving your window open at night_

_Roman: I heard oranges is a good one too_

_Roman: But I used to live next to an orange grove when I was little so I might be a bit biased_

_Roman: Frankincense is pretty nasty tho even Virgil agrees_

_Roman: Lemongrass is good for when you need to think or ya know clear your head and stuff_

_Roman: Also white sage is a no no. It’ll kill any wolf that inhales too much of it_

_Roman: That answer your question?_

Logan mumbled about Roman eating up so many texts. Wasn’t it easier to send multiple sentences at once with the correct grammatical format? Logan sent a quick “Yes, thank you” and received some sort of yellow face blowing a heart at him. He set his phone on the counter and plugged it in to charge.

It amazed him how serious Roman took this werewolf business.

The door muffled a bit more of the party downstairs, and Logan sat down on his bed with a book he neglected to take to college with him. He opened the cover, appreciating that new book smell, and hoped that by the end of the book, he’d have some sort of understanding on how to obtain and keep a stable job.

\--

Two weeks passed by without much alarm. Logan searched for any sort of job in the medical field. Two called him back for an interview so far, but since it was only the beginning of his search, Logan didn’t bet all his money on grabbing it. After all, he was still young.

Patton played games online a lot with his friends from college. Even though he and Damian were from different time zones, the two of them still found time to get together and play. Patton blamed that mostly on Damian’s horrible sleeping pattern, and no amount of telling him to go to sleep ever fixed it.

Then, three days before the full moon, the insatiable hunger hit Logan’s gut again. Not only that, but he found himself eating greasy foods once again. If Logan’s parents noticed, they didn’t say anything. Patton insisted Logan didn’t smell like grease, but Logan could smell his shame.

The closer the full moon got, the more nervous Patton became. What was he going to do with Logan when he sifted? How would he hide him from their parents? He couldn’t let Logan run free. Logan could hurt someone. It was a miracle he wasn’t hurt when Logan shifted the first time.

Someone must’ve been looking out for him because his parents got a call from his sick great uncle in Canada who asked if they could come to visit. They’d be gone for the week. In fact, his parents were surprised when Patton declined to go with. He loved his great uncle, especially the stories he told, but Patton knew if he left Logan alone, something bad was going to happen.

Patton eyed the basement door. It… might hold Logan. He didn’t know how strong the werewolf was, but it might work. It was all he had.

So the day of the full moon, Patton gathered as many spare blankets as he could, throw pillows, a bowl with water from the kitchen sink, some cheap chew toys he found at a pet store (just in case), and a rawhide bone. He placed them in the basement and made a little nesting area for Logan to lay in.

“What are you doing?”

Patton jumped as Logan’s voice called from upstairs. The steps creaked as Logan descended them.

Patton forced a smile on his lips and replied, “Oh, you know, just making a soft area while I watch tv.”

Logan looked around, his eyes landing on the dog bone on the floor.

“With dog toys?”

“Um… yeah.”

“Patton-”

“I didn’t hide a stray dog upstairs this time, I swear!”

Logan rubbed a hand over his face and sighed heavily through his nose.

“We can’t keep it.”

“But-”

“No buts, Patton. You know dad is allergic to dogs.”

“I know, but-”

“Where is it? I’ll drive it to the rescue center if you need me to.”

Patton lowered his head. Maybe he could use this to his advantage. He sighed through his nose and put his hands in his pocket, his shoulders tense.

“No, Logan, it’s my dog. I’ll do it.”

Patton walked past Logan and climbed the stairs. He sent one last look down, making sure Logan had everything he needed and hurried up the last few steps. 

As he got to the top floor, he closed the basement door and double locked it.

Patton paused, letting the events sink in. He just locked his brother in the basement. Logan was going to be pissed when he found out. Still, it was close enough to nighttime that Patton hoped he wouldn’t have to worry about Logan remembering it.

Patton took five steps back and eyed the door. Logan would be fine. There was a bathroom in the basement. He set water down. Logan would be fine. There were blankets in case he got cold. There was even a window he could watch the full moon rise through. Logan would be fine. He wouldn’t pound on the door and demand Patton let him out. He wouldn’t scratch it down. He wouldn’t break through.

He would be fine.

Patton would be fine.

The door handle jiggled, and Patton held his breath. It hesitated before twisting again. 

“Patton?” Logan called out. A pause. “Patton, this isn’t amusing whatsoever. Let me out right now.”

Patton’s heart raced in his chest. He chewed on his lip. Maybe if he pretended he wasn’t here-

“Patton! Open the door right now. You can’t keep me locked down here forever. We can’t keep the dog.”

The other side of the door grew quiet, and a naive part of Patton hoped Logan gave up.

The door shook as Logan slammed his shoulder into it.

“Patton!”

Patton covered his ears. He could turn on the television and pretend Logan wasn’t there. He could go upstairs and listen to music. He could get on a voice chat with Damian and try to distract himself.

The door banged again, this time as Logan pounded his fist on the wood.

“Patton, unlock the door right now!”

Patton squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed thickly.

“No.”

Patton held his breath and listened. Logan grew eerily quiet on the other side of the door as if he waited for Patton to continue.

“This is no time for childish games. Open the door. Now.”

“I can’t.”

“And why not?”

“Because.”

“Because why?” 

“I just can't.”

“Patton, that's a horrible excuse!”

“I don’t want you to hurt anyone!”

The house deafened as Patton’s yell reverberated throughout it. Logan’s voice did the opposite, going quiet like a whisper.

“Patton, I’m not going to hurt the dog, and I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not going to hurt anyone. I know I'm angry, but I won't hurt you. I promise. Please, open the door.”

Patton whispered back, “You don’t know that.”

Another pregnant pause stilled the house. Patton fiddled with the sleeves of his cardigan and looked outside. The sun barely peeked over the trees.

Patton continued, “Logan, whether you want to believe it or not, you did get turned into a werewolf. I saw you. You pinned me down on my bed and held me there all night. You were huge and had black fur and- I don’t know if the basement is even going to hold you. And whether you want to or not, when the full moon rises, you’re going to turn into a werewolf again. And I can’t let you out, because I don’t want you to hurt anyone.”

It took a moment for Patton to realize he started crying. His body shook, and he wiped them away with his cardigan’s sleeve. 

It really was happening again. His brother was going to turn into a werewolf, and he was all alone. He had to face this alone. He had to be the one to keep his brother under control. He had to be the one who would hurt Logan if need be. 

The other side of the door stayed quiet. Patton chewed on his lip. Did Logan hear all that? Was he changing now? When would it happen? Anticipation rose goosebumps onto Patton’s skin.

If the real Logan was still in there, Patton needed him to know this wasn't out of malice. 

“Logan, I love you. I’m sorry. If there was something else I could do, I would.”

Patton walked away from the basement door and into the living room. He curled up into a ball on the couch and rolled himself in a blanket like sushi. Since it was the next room over, he’d be able to hear every sound from the other side of the basement door, but it was far enough out of the way that he could pretend the sounds didn’t exist.

“Patton,” Logan’s voice called. Patton’s attention perked up. Logan sighed, and he continued, “When the night is over and I don’t change into a werewolf, promise me you’ll let me out of the basement.”

“I promise,” Patton whispered, then repeated it louder so Logan could hear. He probably heard him the first time, but Patton wanted to be sure.

The sound of Logan going down the basement stairs took all of Patton’s nerves away. Patton breathed a sigh of relief, and he burrowed his head into the soft blanket.

The living room clock ticked. Seconds felt like minutes. Minutes passed like hours. Patton held his breath.

Soon. Any minute now.

A strangled breath cried out from the basement, and all of Patton’s anxiety returned tenfold. 

Here it comes.

The moon glowed through the living room curtain. Patton made sure to leave the living room lamp on so his neighbors knew someone was home and didn’t call the police. If Logan made too much noise, they still might, but at least they’d be calling the police on Patton and not some stranger.

Logan’s scream turned into a growl, and Patton did his best to cover his ears while still remaining locked in the blanket.

Silence choked the house.

Patton popped his head out of the blanket and looked toward the basement door. Logan hadn’t made a sound in at least a minute. Did he shift? Was it over? What was he doing? Was he lonely? Would he be okay? What would he do if he had to pee?

Claws scratching steps clicked on the stairs. Patton’s whole body froze. He could hear Logan’s heavy breath on the other side of the door. Two sniffs preceded a low growl.

The door banged, and Patton jumped.

An annoyed growl shook the walls. The door banged again, this time as claws scraped against it. Patton prayed the door would hold. Logan’s snarl followed soon after.

The door banged and cracked.

Patton yelped as he heard wood splinter.

It wasn’t going to hold.

Logan banged into it again, and the door cracked louder.

It wasn’t going to hold!

The door slammed against the wall beside it like a gunshot and shook the house. Patton covered his mouth as he screamed. He tried not to shake. Maybe if he laid still Logan would leave him alone.

Claws on tile scraped through the kitchen, and Patton heard the floor creak under Logan’s weight. Two sniffs whispered in the air, and the footsteps creaked closer to the living room.

Patton tried to swallow, but his throat closed up. 

Logan’s nose pressed into the blanket, and Patton whimpered. The suction from Logan’s sniff pulled the blanket off his hand, and he retracted it like it burned.

Patton's heart pounded in his ears. 

Logan didn’t hurt him before. Logan could’ve hurt him before, but he didn’t. He wouldn’t hurt him now.

Logan promised he wouldn’t hurt anyone.

He promised.

Teeth gripped the edge of the blanket. Logan ripped the blanket out of Patton’s hold. Patton tried to curl in on himself, to make a smaller target, but there wasn’t enough blanket left to cover him.

Patton gazed into large blue eyes. If he ignored the black fur and wolf snout, they looked just like Logan’s human eyes, only bigger.

No wonder people say the eyes are a window into the soul.

Logan whimpered, and he nudged Patton’s arm with his nose. His tail wagged as he pressed his head completely under Patton’s arm. His nose booped the tip of Patton’s own nose, and Logan let out a low whine.

It’s just me, he seemed to say. Don’t be afraid. 

I promised.

Patton allowed his hand to gloss over Logan’s black fur. It felt the same as the night Logan shifted the first time, soft and warm, and Patton couldn’t help but smile. 

Logan withdrew his head, and Patton pushed himself into a sitting position on the couch. Patton noticed Logan still wore his tie, just like the first night he shifted. 

For a moment, Logan stared at him. Then, he jumped onto the couch.

“Oh no! No wolves on the couch,” Patton scolded.

Logan watched him, his ears alert.

“I mean it, mister. Dad will freak out if he sees dog hair on the couch. No. Down.”

Patton wasn’t sure if it was his imagination or if Logan really did roll his eyes, but the wolf pushed his paws off the couch, circled twice, then rested in the middle of the living room floor with a soft groan.

Patton couldn’t help his giddy giggle. When he wanted a pet, he would’ve never guessed it would be his brother.

“Do you still like science and stuff? We could turn on some VSauce or something. I know you like watching Michael.”

Logan’s ear twitched to show he was listening, but he didn’t look up at Patton.

Patton turned on the television and pulled up the YouTube app. He clicked on the video that popped up first and let autoplay run. That way, even if he fell asleep, Logan would have something to entertain himself with. 

Somewhere between the videos, Patton got enough courage to sit on the floor. Logan watched his every move, but he didn’t approach. Patton slid until his hip pressed against Logan’s back, and he let his fingers ghost over Logan’s fur.

If Logan minded he didn’t say anything.

For a while, Patton petted Logan in the muffled background sound of unwatched videos. His eyes grew heavier with each stroke, and when he looked at the clock, it read one in the morning. Patton yawned, and he scolded himself for not getting more sleep the night before.

The next time Patton looked at the clock, it was three in the morning. His head rested on Logan’s chest as he hugged the wolf around the middle.

Logan growled below him. The rumbles of his deep voice shook Patton awake.

Or maybe that was the creaking of the porch steps outside that woke him.

Patton gripped his hand into Logan’s fur, and he pressed his chest into Logan’s back. Whatever was on the porch couldn’t get in. It was fine. They’d be fine.

A key clicked in the latch, and Patton held his breath.

This was not fine.

A snarl curled Logan’s lips back. Patton gripped his hands around Logan’s muzzle, silencing the wolf and holding his breath.

The door closed, and Patton bit his lip.

Who was here? Should he risk calling out? What if they came into the living room and saw a giant wolf? What would they do?

Footsteps came closer to the living room. Logan’s muscles tensed below him.

“Hello?” Patton called out, trying to keep his voice as even as possible.

The footsteps stopped. The whole house held its breath.

“Mom, Dad, are you home?” Patton asked.

Silence answered him.

Patton pressed Logan into the floor as he stood up. 

“Stay,” he whispered, hoping that for once in his life Logan would listen to him. “Please, stay.”

Patton stepped away from Logan and tiptoed toward the kitchen. He peered around the corner and nearly screamed when he stared down a crossbow.

“Patton,” a harsh voice whispered in the dark behind it.

Patton squinted in the low light, and then his eyes widened.

“Aunt Alice?”

She pulled Patton into a hug and squeezed his chest a little too tight.

“Are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Patton shook away his shock and answered, “No, I’m not. I mean, yes, I’m okay, but- why are you here?”

Alice spied the door to the basement cracked in two. Her eyes narrowed, and she clenched her jaw.

“I’m guessing Logan did that.”

Patton blinked and forced a smile. “Uh, don’t be silly, auntie. Logan’s not that strong.”

“Cut the act, Patton. I know he’s a werewolf.”

Patton swallowed thickly. His eyes darted to the crossbow in his aunt’s hands and then back up to her face. His mind formed one question, but his imagination filled in several answers.

“What makes you think that?”

“The day of the party, I could tell Logan was acting strange. I always carry a bit of wolfsbane in my purse when I’m out, just in case. It doesn’t create a smell, but it makes any werewolf sick to their stomach, and it keeps them well away from me. I could tell how uncomfortable Logan felt around me, and it wasn’t because my perfume was too strong.”

“Maybe he was just tired and didn’t want company.”

“No, this was different. I’ve seen the reaction way too many times. Now, where is he? Please don’t tell me he got out.”

Patton bit his lip. What should he say? Would his aunt try to hurt Logan if he told the truth? What if Logan came around the corner of the living room door and she saw him? What would Logan do? Too many questions fogged Patton’s mind and hid his words in his throat.

“Nevermind. You stay here. I’m going to check the house.”

“No!”

“Patton, this isn’t Logan we’re talking about. This is a werewolf. They’re deadly and unpredictable. Your brother isn’t there anymore.”

That’s not true, Patton wanted to argue. He opened his mouth to argue. However, a low snarl from behind shook every ounce of courage from him.

Alice pulled Patton close to her chest with one arm and held the crossbow with the other. Her eyes narrowed, and her feet backtracked, pulling Patton with her.

Logan observed the situation. His teeth bared, and the hair on the back of his shoulders stood on edge. Claws dug into the carpet.

“No, Aunt Alice wait!”

“Stay behind me, Patton. He can’t hurt you. I won’t let him.”

“But he hasn’t hurt me all night! He’s not going to hurt anyone!”

Logan took a step forward. Alice shoved Patton behind her and took a shot. Logan flinched at the last second, and the arrow grazed his left shoulder. It lodged itself into the carpet. Logan yelped.

Patton watched Alice load another arrow into the crossbow. She lined up her shot. Patton pushed the crossbow up, and the arrow flew wide into the ceiling.

“Patton-!”

Logan leaped.

Alice grabbed Patton’s hand. She pulled him to the side and toward the kitchen door. Patton tried protesting, but his aunt shoved him out the door before he could argue. Alice slammed the door shut as Logan's head slammed into it. Logan cried out and began furiously scratching the door, the whole time snarling and howling.

“In the car,” his aunt urged.

Patton set his jaw. “I’m not leaving him.”

“The hell you’re not! Patton, he tried to attack you.”

“No, he tried to attack _you_ because you shot an arrow at him. You tried to kill him!”

“Only to keep you safe.”

“I was fine until-” the kitchen door cracked- “you came along! He was just laying on my living room floor. And he just held me the first night he shifted. He’s not going to hurt anyone as long as you leave him alone!”

Alice grabbed Patton’s hand a little too hard, and he hissed in pain. She yanked him to the car and pushed him into the back seat. Before Patton could recover, she shut the door, got in, turned on the car, and sped out of the driveway.

Patton regained his balance, only to be knocked over again as his aunt went around another sharp turn. He hit his head rather hard off the window, and for a moment, he saw white. Patton shook off his daze as the car pulled to a stop but didn’t turn off. 

Alice got out of the car, opened Patton’s door, and pulled him outside.

“Stay here,” she ordered. She shoved something cold into Patton’s hands, and Patton stared down at a pistol. “And if anything comes to hurt you, shoot it.”

Patton watched his aunt get in her car and drive back toward his house. His heart panicked.

“No! Aunt Alice, wait! Please!”

But the car sped well out of earshot. Patton’s cries for mercy fell into the grass like his knees.

No, this… this couldn’t be happening. This was all just a bad dream. He’d wake up the next morning, and Logan would be under him in the living room. They’d both be okay.

A sob choked Patton’s breath.

It had to be a dream.

But.

But what if it wasn’t? What if his aunt actually killed Logan tonight? How was he going to tell his parents? How would his dad react to not only losing the love of his life all those years ago to a bullet but his son as well?

Patton got up on his feet. For a moment, he felt dizzy and caught his balance. His head ached, and he massaged his temple, which now held a rather large bump on it. No doubt it’d be black and blue by the morning.

Patton surveyed his surroundings. The park. She dropped him off at the park. It was only a 10 minute walk from here, and if he ran, he might make it in time.

He could save Logan yet.

The bushes beside the creek rustled, and Patton squeezed the weapon in his hand. No breeze blew. Two golden eyes stared out of the bush leaves, and Patton whimpered as he took a step back.

“Patton,” a voice in his mind whispered. It sounded… familiar… like-

“V-Virgil?” Patton stammered out.

Two hazel eyes turned into a large wolf with gray, brown and white fur. Behind it, another emerged, its stark white fur and golden eyes practically glowing in the moonlight.

“Oh, Patton, thank the stars you’re alright,” Roman’s voice spoke next. 

How the two wolves were talking, Patton didn’t know, and quite frankly he didn’t care right now either. Roman came, just like he promised. Patton didn’t know whether tears of panic or relief pricked his eyes, but he wiped them away as quickly as he could. His fingers squeezed the weapon in his hand. He wanted to throw it as far away as he could, but it might hurt someone, and he couldn’t live with himself if-

“Patton, why are you out here all alone on a full moon?” Virgil asked. “Where’s Logan?”

Patton shook his daze away.

“Logan’s back at my house. You have to help! My aunt knows he’s a werewolf, and I think she’s trying to kill him.”

Roman growled deep in his throat, and Virgil nudged Patton’s hand to brush his head against Patton’s side in comfort. His nose tapped the gun in Patton’s hand, and he yelped as he jumped back.

“Patton-” Virgil started, but he didn’t finish. His eyes stayed locked onto the gun.

Roman spied his brother’s reaction and turned his head to the weapon.

“Patton, why do you have a silver gun? Who gave it to you?”

Patton eyed the weapon in his hand before he answered, “It was my aunt. I think she’s dealt with werewolves before. She said she found out Logan was one because she had wolfsbane in her pocket.”

“One shot with that and Virgil and I would be dead within the hour. Silver bullets are fatal unless we’re able to somehow get the bullet out.”

Patton’s gut twisted.

“Oh my goodness, she’s really going to kill Logan!”

“Okay, okay, calm down. We’re going to stop your aunt, we’re going to save Logan, and we’re going to get out of this in one piece.”

Virgil raised his head into the air, but he couldn’t catch a trail on Patton’s scent.

“Which direction is your house in?”

Patton pointed to his left and answered, “It’s a few blocks down the road not far from here.”

Roman nodded his head, and he walked over to Patton. He pressed his back into Patton’s hand and looked up at him.

“Get on my back. Quickly. We’re both faster than you.”

Patton nodded his head. Roman lowered his back, and Patton swung a leg over. His hands dug into Roman’s white fur. Unlike Logan’s, Roman’s fur was soft and thick as a chinchilla. It felt like a cloud.

Roman stood, and Patton’s feet lifted off the ground. He braced himself in the middle of Roman’s back, surprised the wolf could support his weight and whimpered as Roman took off toward his house.

The wind dried Patton’s eyes and blurred his vision. He heard Virgil following on Roman’s tail. Both brothers let out sharp breaths through their nose. Patton could feel Roman’s strong muscles rippling below his legs, and he patted the side of Roman’s head.

“Turn here. My house is the third one down.”

Roman did as he was told. He ran down the street and skidded to a halt outside of Patton’s house.

Alice’s car was parked in the driveway, its engine still pinging from recently stopping. The screen door to the house lay ajar against the wall, and the front door had a slight crack in it. 

Patton swallowed vomit back down his throat. They were both in there, and who knew if Logan was still alive- no. They made it. They had to.

Roman lowered his body, and Patton slid off the side.

“Perhaps it’s safest if you stay out here. I don’t know how much help you’ll be against your aunt.”

“But-”

“No, Roman’s right, Patton. You need to stay safe. You’re only human after all.”

“But-!”

“We’ll be fine. This isn’t our first encounter with a hunter.”

Roman’s eyes hardened, and his muscles tensed. Virgil’s head lowered slightly, and Patton’s curiosity rose.

Patton let out a long sigh.

“Please stay safe.”

Roman rubbed his head against Patton’s hand as he walked past and let Patton’s fingers trail down his back. He stalked toward the house, his head lowered and tail straight, and crept up the porch steps.

Virgil nosed Patton’s hand and gave it a gentle lick. Patton wrapped his arms around Virgil’s neck, and Virgil backed up slightly. However, he resisted the instinct to pull away and rested his muzzle on Patton’s back.

“Please stay safe,” Patton repeated.

Virgil let out a long sigh before pulling away. He followed in Roman’s pawprints before sending one last look at Patton and disappearing in the house.

\--

Creak.

Roman waited in the kitchen for Virgil to join his side, and he slowly maneuvered toward the stairs. Virgil stayed close on his tail as they crept up the stairs together.

Creak.

Small puddles of blood climbed the stairs with them, some distorted by pawprints.

A low growl rumbled above them, and Roman froze in place. Logan’s scent grew stronger, as did the scent of blood.

A gun clicked.

“I’m sorry, Logan. You really were my favorite nephew, and I swear I’ll avenge you for this.”

Roman wasted no time climbing the rest of the stairs. He reached the top, and sharp eyes met his. He caught the woman standing outside of a door, gun raised and ready to shoot.

A rumbling snarl thundered with his paws as he charged at her. The woman, who must’ve been Alice, panicked and took a shot. It went wide. Roman lunged. His paws easily shoved her to the ground. The woman yelped.

Roman’s paw pressed into her chest, and he heard ribs creak under his weight. He bared his teeth. Alice moved her arm to shoot again. Roman grabbed her forearm with his teeth and ripped into skin. Blood saturated his fur. His teeth tore muscle and scratched bone. Alice screamed beneath him. The gun clattered from her hands.

A fist pounded into Roman’s nose. He whimpered and let go of her arm, taking a step back to shake the pain in his nose. Alice lunged for the gun. She scrambled backward and aimed.

Roman charged forward. He knocked into her into the wall. The gun banged with her head. The shot lodged itself into the wall, nearly hitting Roman’s face and taking some of his fur with it.

Alice’s eyes rolled into her head, and she slumped unconscious onto the floor.

The ticking clock down the hallway synchronized with Roman’s breath.

Roman licked the blood from his lips and took two steps back. He eyed the woman in front of him before snorting through his nose and raising his head high.

“That’ll teach you for messing with my pack,” he growled.

Virgil pushed past Roman and into Logan’s room. A black bundle of fur growled, and ice blue eyes stared at him.

“Easy,” Virgil whispered and lowered his body to the floor, his ears flat in submission. “We don’t want to hurt you, Logan.”

Logan panted heavily. His ears rested against his head, and he barely focused on Virgil in front of him. 

“Patton. Where’s Patton?” he panted over and over again.

“He’s safe,” Virgil informed. 

The stress in Logan’s eyes seemed to waver a bit, but it came back soon after.

“I have to keep him safe. I promised.”

Roman padded in behind Virgil, and Logan’s hackles raised. He stared at Roman and bared his teeth.

“Easy, I’m not going to bite you this time,” Roman said with a hint of mirth.

Logan tried to push himself onto his feet, but he whimpered and collapsed back down on the ground with a heavy plop. Virgil walked over to Logan and nosed his chest. The scent of silver rose his fur.

“Roman, he’s been shot. If we don’t get the bullet out soon-”

Roman twisted his body around and dashed down the steps as quickly as his feet could take him. He pushed through the front door.

Patton stopped his pacing in the front yard and met Roman halfway.

“I heard gunshots. Is everyone okay? Is Logan okay?”

“I’m afraid not. We need your help. Logan has a silver bullet in his chest, and if we don’t remove it so his body can heal, he’s going to die.”

Patton stopped the panicked choke in his chest and raced into the house. He tried to ignore the bloodstains on the floor and his unconscious aunt with her arm torn to shreds in the hallway. He stood in Logan’s doorway and spied his brother.

Logan’s tail wagged as he spotted Patton. He tried to stand, but he whimpered and collapsed once again. His struggling breaths shook his body with a slight whimper.

“It’s under his right shoulder,” Virgil informed.

Patton walked in and knelt beside his brother. He stroked Logan’s head, and Logan leaned into Patton’s touch. 

“Hey there, kiddo,” Patton whispered. He massaged Logan behind the ear, and Logan rested his head in Patton’s lap. Patton blinked away his tears and continued, “I’m gonna help you, Lo, but I need you to raise your head a little.”

Logan sighed heavily. He whimpered before bringing his head back up. 

Patton sucked in a sharp breath. Blood stained the carpet and soaked the front of Logan’s fur. Patton’s fingers brushed over the fur until he heard Logan yelp. He drew his hand back as Logan took a nip at him.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Patton’s gentle voice shushed him. He stroked Logan’s back a bit. “But I might have to if we want you to heal. I have to pull the bullet out, or you’re going to... to die.”

Logan’s eyes stared up into Patton’s own. They looked so, so tired. Logan blinked slowly, and he bent his ears backward. He rolled off of Patton, exposing his chest and the wound under his shoulder as well.

With that, Patton leaned down and started pushing fur out of the way. His hands stained red. The thick fur finally parted, and Patton found the hole the bullet wedged itself into. He checked Logan’s face for any sign of pain and was both relieved and nervous that Logan remained so calm this time.

Virgil started pacing. Every once and awhile, he’d stop, stare at Patton, make sure Logan wasn’t trying to hurt him, and then continue his pacing again.

Roman, on the other hand, was perfectly content laying on the floor with one front paw out and the other folded onto his chest. Every once and awhile, his ear would swivel, listening to the sounds outside the house for danger, and then returned his attention back to the two in front of him.

Patton poked his finger in the hole. Logan’s muscles tensed, and he swallowed thickly. Patton waited a moment, holding his own vomit in his throat. 

Logan was the doctor, not him. He shouldn’t be doing this. He could hurt Logan worse than he already was. Removing a bullet is the exact opposite of what someone should do if they’re shot.

But what choice did he have? They couldn’t exactly take him to the vet right now, and leaving the bullet there was out of the question. 

If only Logan could talk him through this.

Wait.

“Wait!” Patton spoke, “Roman, Virgil, I need you to talk to Logan for me. He’s a doctor- well studied to be a doctor. I need to know what to do to get rid of it.”

Roman stayed quiet for a moment, and then he spoke, “He says you’ll need gloves because he doesn’t really want your germy hands in his chest. And tweezers.”

Patton nodded and stood up. Logan whined as Patton left the room and ran to the bathroom. He flipped the bathroom light on with his shoulder and froze at the medicine cabinet.

His hands had so much blood on them.

Patton tried to ignore the blood and opened the medicine cabinet. He shuffled around the contents, grabbing gloves and nearly knocking the tweezers down the drain. He resisted the urge to grab the Disney bandaids and hurried back to Logan’s room.

Patton turned on the lights, sat down on the floor once again, and scooted closer to Logan. He put the gloves on. 

Once he had proper lighting, parting the fur to find the hole was easier. However, that still left the bullet to retrieve.

Patton swallowed.

With a shaking hand, Patton pressed the tweezers into the hole. Logan yelped and jolted up, but he stopped himself from biting and pressed his head back into the carpet. Patton found it harder and harder to breathe as he reached for the bullet.

Virgil’s nose nudged Patton’s shoulder, and he spoke, “Logan says you’re doing great. Keep breathing. You can do this.”

Patton swallowed his nerves. The metal of the tweezers tapped the bullet, and Patton chewed on his lip as he grabbed onto the sides. The first pull only slipped off. Patton sucked in a sharp breath.

“Okay, okay,” Virgil whispered, “That’s okay. Try again.”

Patton tried once, twice, three times more before he got the bullet to budge. He stopped paying attention to Logan’s face. Instead, he stared at the bullet wound and carefully moved the tweezers until the bullet came into sight.

Patton’s breathing sped up as the tweezers slid off the bullet once again, and it stayed inside the wound.

“No,” he whispered. He tried to grab it again, but it slipped deeper in.

“Calm, Patton, stay calm,” Roman urged as he stood. He placed his head on Logan’s neck to hold him still. “You almost have it. Just one more try.”

Patton nodded and swallowed hard. His hand shook a little less as he reached for the last time to grab the bullet. Without thinking, Patton yanked his hand back. There was a sick sounding pop, and Logan yelped.

The silver bullet bounced across the floor and rolled to a stop in the center of the room.

All the breath Patton held left his chest at once. He smiled and let out two hysterical laughs.

“I did it. It’s out!”

“You did great,” Virgil mentioned and rubbed his head against Patton’s hair.

“Now what? How long will it take to heal?” Patton asked.

Roman sighed. “I’m not sure. All we can do now is wait.”

Logan’s breathing evened out, and the whimper disappeared from his stressed panting. He tried to sit up once again, but he yelped and laid back down on the floor. 

Patton moved so he sat at Logan’s back. He pulled Logan’s head into his lap and stroked the side of Logan’s head. His fingers trailed farther and farther down Logan’s side until they rested at the base of his ribs.

“You’ll be okay, Logan,” Patton whispered, over and over. Maybe more so for his sake than Logan’s own. Patton began to hum the lullaby that his mother sang when they were kids, and Logan allowed his eyes to close.

Exhaustion knocked Patton forward, and he stopped himself from passing out. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he started to feel like it was four in the morning and he got two hours of sleep.

But if he fell asleep, he couldn’t watch Logan. What would happen if Logan didn’t make it through the night? What if this was the last time he’d see him? He wanted to spend every moment-

Roman’s side pressed up against Patton’s back. Patton jolted awake as Roman laid down behind him.

“Get some rest, Patton. You earned it.”

“But, Logan, what if he-”

“If anything happens to him, we’ll let you know,” Virgil responded. He curled up against Logan’s bed and rested his head in his paws.

Patton leaned back into Roman’s soft, warm fur. He let a long sigh leave his lungs.

He barely remembered falling asleep.

\--

The next morning, Patton tried to ignore the fact that he fell asleep on his brother’s floor, with his naked brother's head in his lap, laying on top of a naked stranger (well, really only his head was on Roman’s bare chest), and Virgil laying curled up against Logan’s bed with at least a little modesty from the bed’s blanket. 

Patton brushed the wound on Logan’s chest. Judging from the sticky dried blood, it stopped bleeding hours ago. The flesh was still tender though as Logan flinched when Patton poked it. Patton drew his fingers back. Logan stayed asleep, and Patton let out a long sigh. He noticed another scratch along Logan’s shoulder that was almost healed. That’s the shot his aunt took when she first came.

Wait.

Aunt Alice!

Patton slid out from under Logan and stumbled into the hallway. He looked down the hall.

Gone.

His aunt was gone.

Patton held his breath. Did she just leave? Did someone take her? Did Virgil and Roman dispose of her body?

Patton chewed on his lip as he left to go check his phone for any missed messages. His throat dried up when he realized he had missed texts from the very person he was looking for.

_My dearest Patton,_

_I feel like I should apologize. I did come to your house with every intent to keep you safe, but I was too lost in my hatred to realize it wasn’t necessary. When I woke, I saw you sleeping with those two wolves and your brother. They didn’t hurt you. In fact, they were protecting you._

_I may not have given up my hunter ways, but I certainly will leave you, Logan, and his pack alone for now. Please stay safe. If you need help, you know who to call._

_-Auntie Alice_

_PS - I’m delivering Logan’s favorite crofter thumbprint cookies as an apology. He won’t remember me shooting him, and I’d prefer it that way. He’s still my favorite nephew… no offense ;)_

Patton read and reread the note over and over again. He sighed in relief. One problem down.

Now he just had to figure out how to make all the blood disappear and how to replace the doors Logan broke without his parents noticing.

That was easy… right?

Patton first went to his room and grabbed three of his favorite house robes. The others would probably be cold when they woke up. He draped them over each person, putting a red Mickey Mouse robe on Roman, his favorite fuzzy gray one on Logan, and a powder blue one with calico cats on Virgil. Thank goodness Patton was taller and bigger than everyone.

Afterward, Patton climbed down the stairs, careful not to step in any of the blood puddles, and walked into the kitchen. He spied the broken door to the basement.

Well, no use cleaning on an empty stomach. His parents wouldn’t be home for another four days, after all.

Besides, the wolves-er werehumans- would probably be hungry when they woke up.

Patton grabbed a package of apple oatmeal and started cooking it on the stove. He grabbed some raisin toast and set it in the toaster to pop down when someone was ready for breakfast. No one liked cold soggy toast. He also set tea in the kettle for Logan and put some coffee in the coffee maker. He hated coffee, but Roman and Virgil might appreciate some.

As Patton stirred the oatmeal, the stairs creaked.

Logan entered the kitchen clutching Patton’s robe around him like a lifeline and looked around the house in a near daze like state. Patton couldn’t tell if he was just tired or if it was a state of shock.

“Good morning,” Patton chirped.

Logan stared at the basement door for a few minutes before he answered, “Good morning, Patton.”

Logan reached out to grab a kitchen chair, missed, tried again, and sat down. He stared at the wall in front of him and rubbed a hand over his face.

“It really did happen last night, didn’t it?”

Patton pinched his cheeks into a smile. “I usually don’t like saying I told you so but-”

“I’m sorry.”

Patton closed his jaw with an audible click. Did Logan just… apologize? Flat out?

Logan’s blue eyes drifted over to Patton, and he sighed. His lips stumbled to find words before he continued.

“I didn’t want to believe it. However, with all the evidence stacked against me, the insatiable hunger, the aversion to certain smells, the toxicity of chocolate, and the sudden height of sight, sound and smell, I could no longer cross out the possibility that werewolves did, in fact, exist, and that I was one of them.”

Logan closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He stayed silent for a few minutes before adding on, “I did shift into a werewolf last night, did I not?”

Patton nodded his head. He set the oatmeal off the burner and onto a warming pad. After, he reached for Logan’s star mug and poured some earl gray tea. Patton presented the warm mug to Logan, who took it with a word of thanks and sat at the other side of the table. Fingers wove together and placed themselves on his lap.

“You didn’t hurt anyone, though, so don’t worry.”

Logan’s blue eyes flashed open, and Patton recalled the calm stare of the wolf the night before.

“Then how did I achieve the wounds on my chest and shoulder?”

Patton sucked in a breath and forced a smile. He let out a nervous laugh and answered, “Oh, well, I mean- it’s not because you hurt anyone. It’s more like they were out to hurt… you.”

“Me? What possible cause could they have to hurt me?”

“Um, well, they were a… werewolf hunter, I think.”

“Are you hurt?”

“No! Actually, they wanted to keep me safe. They thought that you were going to hurt me.”

“What stopped them?”

“Roman and Virgil. I think it was mostly Roman though.”

Logan nodded his head and sighed through his nose. He ran a hand through his messy hair and swallowed the dryness in his throat.

“Mom and dad are going to flip when they see the door.”

“Yeah, there’s no way they’re going to find it a-_door_-able.”

Logan glared, and Patton sent a proud smirk.

The stairs groaned a second time, and Patton had to strain his hearing to pick up the light footsteps. Golden eyes flashed over the railing as Roman descended the stairs and stopped in the kitchen doorway.

“Good morning,” Roman practically sang.

Logan turned around in his seat, and Roman smiled a bit too wide at him.

“How are you feeling, Logan?”

“My chest is in pain, but otherwise, I believe I will make a quick recovery.”

“Oh,” Roman flashed his eyes up to Patton before returning to Logan. “How much of last night do you remember?”

“Not much. The last thing I recall was contacting you, actually.”

Patton’s eyebrows pinched together. 

“You called Roman?”

“Texted, actually,” Roman corrected. “He told me, and I quote ‘I’ve attached the directions to my house. Please come retrieve me from the basement. Patton has locked me here thinking I am a werewolf and I can no longer deny it might be true.’ I never thought he’d reach out to me of all people, but I imagine it was because I was the one who extended the invitation a few days ago.”

“Roman and I have been in contact with each other,” Logan replied. “He’s been… rather knowledgeable on the subject of werewolves, and it was beneficial to my research.”

“Uh-huh,” Patton said as he leaned into the table, cupped his cheeks in his hands, and leaned on his elbows with a wide grin. “Glad you two are getting along.”

Logan’s cheeks flushed, and he sent a glare. Patton practically read the “I will kill you if you say anything” rolling off Logan’s stare, and he giggled.

“By the way,” Roman said and raised his nose in the air, “something smells fantastic.”

“Oh! I’m making oatmeal,” Patton said with a smile. He walked into the kitchen and stirred the oatmeal in the pot. “Would you like some?”

“Praise you,” Roman said and stood up from his chair. “I’m starving.”

Logan watched Roman walk over to Patton like a starving puppy waiting for its breakfast. He took a sip of his tea and listened to the steps groan behind him once again. 

Without turning, Logan greeted, “Good morning, Virgil.”

A grunt answered him, and Logan sipped his tea to hide his smirk. Virgil plopped himself in the chair beside Logan, wrapped the robe around him tighter, and tried to blink his sleep away.

“You okay?” Virgil asked. 

“I’m satisfactory. How about yourself?”

“Eh, I’ll live. I think.” He watched his twin chatter with Patton as they argued about milk and cinnamon belonging in oatmeal. A smile softened his face.

“What happens now?” Logan asked. 

Virgil turned his hazel eyes to Logan, and he sighed. 

“Well, you can live a mostly normal life except that, you know, you’re going to shift into a werewolf every full moon from now until you die.”

Logan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I just finished college. I did not want to walk from one nightmare into another.”

“It’s not so bad,” Virgil replied. “I mean, you can hear people talking smack in the neighbor’s house.”

“Why would I care about someone making a cartoon punch sound effect?” Logan mumbled.

Virgil opened his mouth to explain, but closed it and shook his head.

Roman and Patton finally arrived in the kitchen. Roman placed a cup of black coffee in front of Virgil, who graciously took it and sipped the hot liquid like chocolate milk. Patton passed out four bowls of oatmeal, and they started conducting breakfast.

“So, now that I am a… werewolf-” the word still refused to leave Logan’s tongue- “where do I live? Is it safe to stay here with Patton and my family? Will anyone else come to hurt us?”

“I mean, you have one of two choices,” Roman said and held up a finger. “One, you can come live with Virgil and me in our pack, which I’m sure would welcome you with open arms, or two, you can stay with Patton and come to our house for nights with a full moon. You two only live about 3 hours away from us.”

Logan swallowed his dry throat and squeezed his hands together until they turned white. He caught Roman’s eyes, who looked patronizingly sympathetic.

“It’s your choice, Logan,” Roman offered.

“I will think about it. For now, I’d like to continue my life here, with Patton. Then, on the night of the full moon, I will go to your house and transform.”

Virgil shrugged and sipped his coffee.

“There is the problem though of Patton being part of your pack,” Roman answered. “You’re going to want to know he’s safe, and your wolf form is a lot more… primal than your human form. It’s going to want to physically see Patton.”

“Well,” Patton offered, “I can go with. I mean, Logan didn’t hurt me the last two times. He shouldn’t hurt me the other times, right?”

Roman and Virgil shared a knowing look, and Virgil sighed. 

“Yeah, it might work. I don’t know how the rest of the pack will feel about it though.”

“Oh, you know mom is always happy to have strangers over for supper,” Roman said with a laugh. Virgil glared at him, and Roman’s laughter died down. “But in all seriousness, it shouldn’t be that much of a problem. We can just explain the circumstances to her, and hopefully, everything will be right as rain.”

Logan squeezed the sides of his tea mug. He sighed and stared at his reflection in the glass. His eyes stared back at him, and he wondered if they looked the same when he was a wolf. He’d have to let Patton take a picture of him. 

For science, of course.

“If you believe that is the right course of action, I'll do so without hesitation.”

“Well, I guess it’s settled then,” Roman announced. “Welcome to the pack, Logan.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope it wasn't too intense! Feel free to just leave a heart as a comment. I swear it'll make me smile. And if you want, check me out on tumblr at altruistic-skittles :D
> 
> Have a lovely day <3
> 
> -Cat


End file.
